


To be Whole

by velvetyred



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Awkward reader, Dad Gaster, Family, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Main relationship is NOT romantic OR sexual, Multi, No Romance, Other, POV switching and mixing, Post-Pacifist Route, Rating May Change, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, Selectively Mute Frisk, Self-Insert, Slow Build, Tags will be updated as this goes along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-07-22 22:06:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7455640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetyred/pseuds/velvetyred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You decide to take a chance, and it proves to be one of the most life-changing things you'll ever do.</p><p>In a combination of complicated situations, circumstances out of anyone's control, and a great need to fill the empty space in their hearts, this is a story of lost souls and the winding road that leads them home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, hello! Welcome, and thanks for giving this work a chance! :) I'm a little nervous and probably really rusty, because I haven't really written anything in forever. I have this entire thing vaguely mapped out, and if all goes well I'll be able to dish out the entire thing! I even have the next chapter written out, hopefully I can find time to post it in the next few days. I'll probably go back to this first chapter and flesh it out more, but for now I'm satisfied. I hope you are, too! Thanks again :D
> 
> -Red

***

 

You were alone.  
  
Well, that was probably for the best, considering where you were. The Underground was not a place for humans to be wandering around, or so the monsters had insisted, and thus was closed off until further notice. That had been over a year ago. 

But here you were, strolling around and taking in all the sights as though you were simply in a museum of sorts, taking a look at the exhibits. In a way you were – monsters had been trapped in here for hundreds of years, and so there was a lot of history within these confines to take in and learn from.

There were puzzles everywhere. Most of them weren't very lethal, though – one of the first you had come across involved spikes in the ground, but upon closer inspection you found that the spikes themselves were quite dull. The spikes that you were able to walk on were also noticeably more worn, so figuring out the right path had been easy as well. After that, you paid close attention to any and all of the instructions that you came across, eager to solve them and go on to the next.

You were currently mulling over the instructions by the entrance of another room, brushing away fallen leaves from your legs. The last puzzle involved a lot of falling (rather ungracefully) on your rear, and you interrupt your own thoughts for a moment, frowning. Why hadn't you broken the floor first and then just jumped down? Ugh. You held back the urge to grumble about it and turned to walk to the next room instead. The damage was done. Your butt wasn't going to benefit from those thoughts now.

Luckily, no falling was required for this one and you breezed through it, flicking the switches easily. You let out a satisfied hum as you watched the last set of spikes lower into the ground. You hadn't really known what to expect, coming down here. Your little adventure was proving to be pretty... Fun. You readjusted the back of your shoe so that it didn't dig into your Achilles tendon (You really needed to invest in a comfortable pair of sneakers.) and continued on.

Your decision venture into the Underground was rather sudden on your part. The day had been long and, despite the lack of any activity, you were incredibly exhausted. You weren't even sure how it worked, exactly – All you knew was that from the moment you woke up a deep, aching tiredness had settled itself into your bones. It seduced you into confining yourself to your room, to listlessly shift around on your bed and switch between browsing on your phone and staring at your bare ceiling.

The only thing that brought you to your feet was the light from the window, glaring right at your face and causing you to squint at your phone screen. You rolled off the bed, slowly slinking down until your knees met the floor before you pushed yourself away from your cozy spot. When you reached the window, your hands caught the fabric of the curtains, but what you saw past the glass stopped you from pulling them closed.

It was Mt. Ebott, silhouetted against the sunset sky. The clouds were few, but the ones that were there managed to frame the sight just so. The orange of the suns rays blurred into pinks, blues, purples, making for a lovely gradient of colour. It looked truly magnificent.

So magnificent, that a feeling began to curl in your stomach. It was full, warm, and...You weren't sure how else to describe it. But it pooled there and settled so surely that you felt you had no choice but to ACT.

 

Your steps echoed throughout the house, the only sound in the vacated space. You came to a stop before a set of stairs, allowing the silence to take over for a moment. If this were any other place on the surface, you were sure you would be uncomfortable. But even with the absence of life, this empty house was somehow welcoming. The air was not suffocating, as one might expect from a home that was in a mountain, but fresh and laced with the scent of baked goods. Everywhere you looked you were greeted with muted shades of yellow that brightened up the place. It was open, free of any obstructions that would make it feel cramped or messy. It seemed like a house out of a storybook that was just waiting for its perfect little picture book family to come back from their vacation.

Perhaps this was why you decided against exploring the other rooms. You felt like Goldilocks in the home of the three bears; an intruder waltzing through and taking advantage of a perfectly arranged set up. You shook your head, resting your hand on the railing as you descended the stairs. As tempting as it was to stay, you knew you couldn't. It wouldn't be right. And places like this... They weren't meant for someone like you, anyway.

The sound of your shoes tapping against stone began again, and your hands slithered into your pockets at the drop in temperature. The corridor you entered was a little more eerie, the colours matching the purple hues of the puzzle rooms from before. Your shoulders hunched a bit as you quickened your pace, nearly running as goosebumps formed along your arms.

Reaching the end, you hurried through the exit and --

Straight into an area of complete darkness. Well, not really. The light from the hall behind you still shone, but it didn't go past your shoulders. The blackness around you seemed to swallow everything, and threatened to swallow even you if you dared to leave the light's embrace.

You hesitated, eyeing the archway in front of you. It was the one solid thing you could see; its pillars were covered in web like cracks and the symbol carved at the top was almost completely worn away. You were vaguely aware of you feet pushing you slowly towards it and you found that the closer you got, the bigger it became. Which, honestly, shouldn't have been weird, but it had only taken you a few strides to reach it and it was now twice the height it was before. Huh.

The nagging voice of your conscience pulled lightly at your ear. _Turn back,_ It said, _go home._

You pondered the idea for a moment. You could go back through the ruins and hike back down the mountain. You could catch a cab straight back to your apartment, sneak in quietly and take out your keys to unlock your creaky door. You could hang your raggedy sweater, kick your shoes to the side, and fall back into bed. Then, you could wake up the next day and go on as usual, and pretend that none of this had ever happened. You _could_ do all of those things. It would be so easy. Your neck was starting to get stiff, and so you lowered your gaze to the darkness ahead.

You breathed in deep, and stepped through.

 

***

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster has no idea what to think of you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Welcome to the second chapter! :D I had a lot of fun writing this one, and I'm stoked to get into the swing of posting on a regular schedule. I'm going to try and post a chapter every Sunday or Monday! Consider this the chapter for the 17th/18th though, oop. I've got a busy schedule in the coming week or two so this will be the last bit until the 25th. Until then, please enjoy and let me know what you think so far! :D
> 
> -Red

***

 

  
Gaster hasn't seen a single soul, monster or human, come through the Underground in a long while. Not since right after Barrierfall, anyway. The last time anyone was for a good length of time, it was to install a proper entrance where the humans used to fall through – mostly for the benefit of the monsters that resided within the Ruins, so that they could easily transfer their belongings to their settlement at the base of the mountain ('New New Home', he recalled, remembering the passing conversations he heard between some Froggits. His Majesty was still rather bad at naming things, it seemed.). After everyone brought out the last of their things, no one had any reason to come back. 

(Except for Frisk, who came for Flowey. They had gathered the protesting flower, roots and all, into a small pot, and -- Well. That was a story for another time.)

So it is a severe understatement to say that he was surprised when he saw you walking out of the door to the Ruins and onto the snowy path. He almost couldn't believe his eyes, but... There you were. A person. A _human_!

Immediately, his mind was came up with a flurry of questions. Mixed with the perpetual static that buzzed in his skull, they shot through him in a barrage of hasty sentences. How did you get in? Was there no one guarding the entrance? Who were you? Did King Asgore send you down here? Did the Queen? The human government? Had something happened on the surface?

Of all places to be, why were you here?

The analytical mind of a scientist was almost never at a loss for answers. He began to hypothesize, leaving no idea unexplored, no matter how wild. His very first thought was that you could have come in by mistake, and were simply curious as to where you ended up, but he discarded that thought as soon as it finished. It wasn't possible. Gaster was sure that the King would have deemed the Underground an unfit environment for exploring. And even if he hadn't, he would have made some kind of effort to, at least, seal off Hotland. That way, no one would have access to the lab. No one would be able to wander in and find the True Lab and learn of the atrocities that occurred there. No one would be able to discover the room of coffins below the King's garden, where the bodies were -

Gaster let out a shaky breath, a shudder coursing through his fog of a body. Funny, how that worked. He didn't even have to breathe, but it was a habit he'd come to appreciate. It made him feel a little more... Normal. He backtracked, returning to his original subject. Right. You. You couldn't have gotten lost and stumbled upon this place, not with the publicity it was sure to have gotten above ground.

Were you a thief, here to steal what you could from the Underground's remains and pawn it off to rich humans with a fascination for artifacts? Were you a scholar, interested in the history left behind? Were you a mage in disguise, down here to try and find a way to recreate the barrier so that the monsters would be sealed away once more? There were so many possibilities, too many variables to account for.

Resolving to investigate your sudden appearance, Gaster began to follow you. And to follow you, that meant materializing himself wherever he could catch a glimpse of you. The Incident at the CORE had ripped his soul to pieces, scattering his essence throughout the Underground. Without a physical form, he was forced to travel through these scattered pieces and, depending on how much of him was at a location, he would be able to have influence on his surroundings.

Right now, he was watching you plod through the snow from his spot by a tree. Here, he was able to form just enough so that he could cross his goopy, sludge-like arms and lean against the rough bark. Of course, it still wasn't enough for you to be able to see him, but in this case that was to his advantage. The white pin pricks that served as his eyes followed you, his good eye socket squinting - His other was in a permanent crescent, halfway closed - in suspicion.

Your arms were around yourself in an obvious attempt to stay warm, and your cheeks were flushed slightly. The snow was seeping into your shoes, leaving them shades darker than they should be, and there was a distinctive _squish_ every time you took a step. You looked absolutely pitiful.

You were still nowhere near the town, and you were already slowing down somewhat. You poor thing, at this rate you were probably going to _freeze_ and oh, perhaps he would be able to lead you through the puzzles quickly so that you could get there and warm up at the inn. Even though it was unoccupied now, he was certain that the rabbit monsters that lived there previously had an extra generator, so you could probably go and start it up and -

No! Gaster shook himself out of his thoughts, causing his faulty black mass to hiss and lose it's form momentarily. When it reformed, he glanced down the path to see you carefully tip toeing over a puzzle – an invisible electric maze, he remembers – and scolded himself quietly. He wasn't supposed to feel sorry for you! You were a stranger, a trespassing one at that, and he must make sure you didn't see or do anything you weren't meant to. With a huff, he dissolved..

.. and reappeared by another tree. He looked down; he was only half formed at this spot, his torso dripping into nothing. He was more transparent, too, and his hand fazed through the tree when he tried to place it there. It was better than nothing. He leaned out and surveyed the area, spotting a lone snowball to his left - a _snowdecahedron_ , his mind supplied. He tittered with laughter at that. Hey, even someone in his position had to keep himself entertained somehow, right?

He was interrupted by a curious hum, and turned to watch you bend down and examine the hefty snowball at your feet. Your brow was knitted in confusion when you stood straight again. Your eyes scanned around, meeting Gaster's for a fleeting moment before looking past him at the hole in the ground. Seeming to put two and two together, you unwrapped your arms and rubbed your hands together. Before long, you were pushing the snowball towards him. It looked as though you were gently coaxing a small child to say hello to someone they've never met before.

The inevitable _plop!_ of the snowball falling in signaled your success. Both of you stared this time as a bright green flag rose from the ground. Not a natural green, like leaves on trees or the stems of the flowers in the king's garden, but neon and unnatural. The hue registered as significant in Gaster's mind, and he wondered about it for a second.

He regretted it at once, when his memories offered him an answer of screaming and pleas of mercy, please, _please have mercy -_

Ah, yes.

The sudden hunch of his shoulders went completely unnoticed as you focused on the text displayed before you.

*** Your concern and care for “Ball” led to a delicious victory. (You are awarded 3G)**

As your face took on another perplexed expression, Gaster's form wavered again. With every laboured breath, he felt his grasp on his body slip away. He felt his face begin to melt, and while raising his hands to his face he found that they, too were losing what solidity they had. His torso was fading prematurely and _damn it all_ , he wished he were a stronger monster. Giving up on maintaining himself, the rest of him evaporated, leaving you alone once more.

 

-

 

Gaster recovered not long after that, but resolved not to continue his pursuit. He was exhausted, now, and the guilt clawing at his chest rooted him in place.

The room he was in was a bit of an anomaly. It only appeared once in a while, and there were no triggers or circumstances that Gaster could pin down to figure out why it did so. It was the only place where he was able to fully materialize in. While there was a solid floor, and a wall, all around him was a stretched out expanse of nothing. Darkness didn't properly describe the emptiness. There was no colour, life, no _anything_. The void was a place that would surely scare the heck out of normal people, but not him.

He knew it shouldn't bring him comfort, but it did. This place - with no reminders of his past life, of the people he failed and the lives he ruined - was more of a sanctuary to the guilt ridden doctor. Here, he could escape that reality for a time, and wasn't that ironic? A person who _didn't even_ _exist_ in this reality was seeking refuge from it. Ha. He was truly despicable.

Gaster stood there, curling in on himself as his thoughts took over. The static grew louder and louder, and he tried to speak over it, stumbling over his apologies and fractured sentences. His body gurgled, bubbling and rebuilding itself whenever a big enough part of him oozed on to the floor. His hands jerked in different directions, digits twitching into gestures that he couldn't find it in him to control. His head was bowed low as his face contorted into a twisted grimace while dry sobs wracked his frame.

It was probably because of this that Gaster did not see a door, grey and plain, appear on the wall across from him. It was probably why he did not hear the tentative knock, or the harder one that followed a minute later. And because he missed these two very important things, he was paralyzed with shock when he heard the screech of a heavy door being nudged open and heard your timid call.

“Hello?”

 

***

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet Gaster.

***

 

A sneeze echoed back at you from a nearby flower. You sighed, leaning back against the cold wall and pulling your legs closer to your chest. The chill from the snow was still with you, numbing your hands and causing the slight chatter in your teeth. Your feet were no better – you could feel the dampness that settled in your shoes and socks, and you grimaced at the sound it made every time you curled your toes. Yuck. You were beginning to regret not stopping at the inn, back in that town you passed, or that nice house with that one mailbox that was full to the point of bursting. Either would have served as a better rest stop than, well, here. 

You allowed your eyes to wander around a bit, taking in the area. The air was well used, if a little odd in smell. Your nose was tickled by it; it reminded you of rain and jumping in puddles on the side walk, of the satisfying squelch of boots in grass and mud. This place looked like a marsh, if you were honest, but one that was ethereal and magical. The lack of a sun was no problem because here, almost everything gave off some kind of light. Copycat flowers were scattered throughout, decorating the ground like small moons. They gave off a faint blue glow that pulsed with every sound they repeated. There were patches of grass that glowed, too, small and abundant. They were so plentiful that it seemed like a sea of stars, bunching together in places to create a small galaxy. And oh, the best part was the water, you thought. The light that emanated from it was unlike anything you'd ever seen; it was a bright cyan colour, clear and beautiful. It looked almost artificial in its beauty, and would have stayed that way had it not been for the lily pads and cattail's that were scattered along its surface.

You were far from comfortable, but.. maybe this wasn't such a bad place to stop, after all.

But you were still tired and shivering, and you knew that it wouldn't get any better if you continued to sit around. Resigning yourself to travelling on wet feet, you heaved yourself up from your spot and smoothed out your sweater.

Your little sniffle was the next sound a curious flower chose to parrot, switching at once when you laughed at the first repetition. That one caught on to several other flowers and soon enough, all you could hear was your overlapping giggles. Which was actually kind of weird, but cool nonetheless. As it drifted off into murmurs again, another sound drifted down the hall. It was nothing like the soft words of the flowers.

You frowned and leaned in that direction, straining to hear. It was muted and you could only barely distinguish it from the whispers of the flowers, but you were sure you could hear indistinct sounds. They came from a person, for sure, because it was continuous and nothing was repeating itself and shoot, this was _bad._

Anxiety bubbled inside you. Someone was here? You thought this place was empty of monsters, abandoned – Oh, you were gonna be in so much trouble. Someone had no doubt come to drag you out of here. You weren't supposed to be here, after all, you _knew_ that. And yet you were skipping around like some unsupervised kid in a park. This was the worst idea ever. You should have stayed in your stupid bed, in your stupid apartment and

Your thoughts were disrupted by an anguished wail, your head swiveling to face it. As it trailed off, worry seeped in. It wasn't for yourself this time, though, but the source of the sound. Maybe someone was in trouble?

You found yourself staring down the hallway that brought you to the marsh. The scratched up telescope was still there, as was the lonely little chest. The table with the cheese stuck on top was in the exact same position (You tried to pry it off earlier, out of curiosity. The thing just wouldn't budge.). You couldn't see it from here, but you were sure that if you took a step to the side you'd be able to make out the little mouse hole and the single glowing flower next to it. Craning your neck, you can just barely make them out past the wall with the big door. Yup, right where you left them. No sign of a person or anything, either. Could they be beyond the tall, itchy grass? Aw, that would be such a pain to wade through, but if someone needed help...

Wait. Your eyes flicked back to the door. That. That was definitely new.

Ignoring the squishing in your shoes, you carefully made your way over to it. There was no way you could have missed it, you thought, looking over the smooth metal surface. It was quite a few heads taller than you and loomed like the entrance to a dungeon. When you placed your hand on it, you heard more muffled sobs from the other side, and your chest tightened. The sound made your shoulders fall a little, your mouth turn downwards. Someone was hurting on the other side of this door.

With a shaky hand and a bit of gathered courage, you grabbed the handle. “Hello?” You called, pushing the metal door open a crack. “Hello? Is – is anyone there?”

Your attempt at nudging it open further doesn't work out, so you lean in with your shoulder and heave. The metal grinds harshly against the ground, making you wince, but you keep going until the opening is wide enough. Your feet plant themselves at the doorway as you peer through the darkness.

The sight that greeted you was unexpected, to say the least.

They were a monster from what you could tell – their entire body was dripping like heated wax, pooling at their feet and fizzing into nothingness. Their head reminded you of the comedy and tragedy masks used in theatre, though there were visible cracks under the left eye and over the right. Their expression was a perfect duplicate of the one that represented tragedy, and you knew that this was the person who had cried out earlier. Cloudy grey liquid was spilling from their eyes, their mouth a very deliberate, very open frown. They looked at you with white pupils, small and sharp with surprise. Despite their stillness, their hands seemed to be moving with minds of their own, twitching every so often into gestures and formations that looked a bit like sign language.

Apparently staring each other down was enough for the both of you. Neither of you said a word, supposedly waiting for the other to talk. The silence was palpable and getting more awkward with each passing second. Your fingers began to fidget with the end of your sleeve, “Hi. Um, are you okay?” You almost groaned. Wow. An amazing start.

The monster startled when you spoke, blinking out of their daze. Static reverberated in the air while they drew themselves up and their body dripped down like a dark molasses. You watched them open their mouth purposefully in reply and suddenly, there were a series of various bell like noises filling the space around you. Some sounded like the bell of a church, rumbling and low, sending vibrations through your entire body. Others sounded like chimes being blown by a reckless wind, unrelenting and constant. It felt like the ringing was bouncing off nonexistent walls and ricocheting in your skull.

Your hands instantly flew to cover your ears, and the monster's hands clamped over their mouth, clearly taken aback by their own volume. Both pairs lowered in unison, one of your own going to rub your other arm. The air is dry and chilly, like the air in a plane.

Across from you, the monster was still. It looked like they were hesitant to open their mouth again, so you went ahead and introduced yourself. You licked your lips, feeling the roughness of it. You could barely hear yourself speak over the buzz in your head. “Do you need help?”

They paused, then let out what you assumed was a laugh. It was another bell-like sound, but it came out as a pleasant jingle of bells, the sort that people sang about at Christmas. They were bent over as they wiped a hand across their eyes. After having their moment, they turned back to you and nodded, still looking mildly amused.

Bewildered, you returned the nod anyway. “Okay, what do you need? Are you, uh - “ You glanced at the space where their feet should be. “Are you stuck?”

They attempt to move, their upper body leaning forward in an attempt to take a step. Their bottom half moved along, but never once lifted off the ground. They frowned at you again.

You clicked your tongue. “Okay. Okay. Maybe I can pull you out of here.” You said, and you started further into the room.

The distance between you wasn't that far. But it seemed that with every step, you barely got any closer. The humming in your ears grew steadily, like someone was holding their thumb on the 'volume up' button on the remote of a static filled TV. On top of that, every time your foot met the floor, it seemed as though a weight was being added to your shoulders. It was like gravity decided it was going to have some fun and jump on your back for a spontaneous piggyback ride. Well, the joke was on gravity, because you didn't do very well with heavy things. On the sixth step, your body was tense and a bead of sweat dribbled down your temple from the effort. On the eighth, your knees hit the floor and you were coughing, gasping for air. You head was pounding, and you held it between your hands in an effort to stop it.

Between the ringing, you heard a loud exclamation, and looked up. You had made it to the monster, who was hovering over you now. Their hands were raised and flailing frantically, grabbing at their face, moving towards you, and then pulling back. Their eyes were as wide as they could go, as though they were afraid you would disappear if they so much as blinked. They looked conflicted and helpless, unsure of what to do.

You would have laughed if you weren't so preoccupied. Some saviour you were.

“I – I'm alright! Just give me a second.” The words felt like sand on your tongue, and you struggled to inhale. You sluggishly planted a foot down to use your knee to push yourself up. Your vision blurred and black spots faded in and out as you stood. You tried your best to give a reassuring smile. “See?” Your hand went up painfully slow when you offered it to them. “Let's give this a try.”

They shook their head furiously, not helping your doubling vision. Instead they pointed past you in a clear gesture towards the door. _Go back_. Their expression was begging, pleading even. _Go back._

But it was your turn to shake your head. Your hand was getting harder to hold up, and it was shaking badly in its place. You kept it there still. “Come on, I can't leave you here.”

They took so long to do anything that you almost gave up. But finally, their hand twitched to life. You hadn't been paying attention before, but now you noticed how their fingers looked like smooth human bone, and that their palms were oval shaped and had a hole in the middle. Strange. They were so human-like and foreign at the same time. You stared openly as it raised to meet yours.

Your hands clasped together was the last thing you saw before everything when black.

 

-

 

The first thing Gaster noticed when he woke up was the darkness. It wasn't the nothingness of the void that he was so familiar with; this was actual darkness, the simple absence of light. He felt calm and relaxed, knowing well that he shouldn't be. He had just come face to face with you – you, a human who was able to reach him, able to _see_ him and who thought that he was a living monster. It shouldn't have been possible.

“ _Do you need help?”_

It was so absurd that he had ended up laughing at your question. He did need help, but he wasn't so sure that you would be able to help. He considered himself an optimist, especially in his life before, but he had lost hope for his situation long ago. Not that you knew that, of course. You were just asking because to you at that moment, it looked like here was still hope for him. Like there was a simple solution.

And then you actually _did_ try to help. When you were knelt in front of him, clearly struggling, he had to bite back his words. _I don't deserve this._ He wanted to say, with all the guilt resting in his chest. _Please, go. Forget about me._ But a part of him didn't want you to leave or forget. He wanted this to work, wanted you to bring him back into the world. And that was probably why, in the end, he did end up taking your hand. He wanted to believe.

And now he was stuck again. Though it was a step away from the void, it was still _dark._

Until it wasn't, and you opened your eyes. You were back in the hallway between the table with the cheese and the nature-lit marsh. You dug the heels of your palms into your eyes, rubbing the odd tiredness from them. Your legs were crossed and your back was to the wall, and you deduced sleepily that you must have dozed off. But didn't you seat yourself right by the marsh? Oh well.

Gaster blinked with you, watching your hand reach into your pocket and take out your phone. 5:30 AM. You sighed and rose from your spot, waiting for the feeling in your legs to return. It was time to go back to your life on the outside. As fun as this was... You also didn't want to risk running into anyone and getting in trouble. Something similar to sadness spread across your heart, making it heavy. You wanted to go on, but.. There was nothing for you down here. You were just passing through.

As you turned, Gaster did too, and he let out a sharp gasp that you didn't hear. Your feet moved, and he moved with you. He tried to look down at where his own hands might be, but realized that he didn't even have any. Turning back, he focused on the top of your head. He wasn't _in_ your body, but he had nothing physical of his own to control. He wasn't even an apparition of any sort – just a formless presence attached to your being. And after taking a moment to listen, he couldn't hear any of your thoughts either. He was just.. There. A non-existent monster tagging along for the ride. If he'd had them, his hands would be at his head, gripping his skull. This was absolutely unheard of.

He watched, astonished and trying to process the situation, as you made the trek back toward the surface. Back through Snowdin, through the forest and its traps, into the house of the former Queen. You traipsed through the ruins and slowed to a stop on the entrance stairs, just a few feet away from leaving.

You gazed down the foot of the stairs, eyes travelling further until they met the patch of buttercups. They were bright and healthy, in a spot where the sun would definitely hit them when it was high in the sky. No doubt that the rain reached them easily too, and you smiled at their abundance. They comforted you, in a way. It was like a happy little send-off before you went back to your piece of reality.

After a few minutes, Gaster turned and looked up at the sky. It only took a few steps until it filled your vision fully; there were no clouds at all, just the deep blues slowly being overtaken by the golds and the oranges of the sun. It was unlike anything he could have ever hoped to see.

You moved, bringing both of you under the morning sun.

 

***

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter three, finally. I had fun with this, especially near the end. :D From here on out, the chapters will be a mix of your perspective and Gaster's. It will be less jumbled than what happened in this, don't worry. Now you can expect a new chapter every Monday or Sunday, unless something comes up and I say otherwise. Next week's chapter should be out on time, even with my birthday and Pride happening, so we're all good. Kudos and comments are very much appreciated. :) Have a good week, everyone, and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> \- Red


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go to the laundromat and make some friends.

***

The click of the door closing behind you was the only thing that you bothered to register as you entered the apartment. The dim light from the window shone a place mat at your feet as you toed your sneakers off and kicked them to the side. You mechanically unzipped your sweater, shrugging it off and placing it on a hook. You threw your soggy socks into the laundry basket in the hallway and didn't bother to flick any lights open as you padded to your room. There was no need for light when you were just going to throw yourself into bed, anyway. Your mouth opened wide with a yawn, and you ran a hand through your mop of hair. That trip really took a lot out of you.

Relief sagged your shoulders when your bed came into view, soft and inviting. The covers were all over the place, and your charger and headphones were tangled into each other (How that happened _every_ time, you didn't know.). Your two pillows were askew and you happily swiped one up and hugged it before falling back-first on to the mattress. Ah, sweet, comfy bed. It never let you down.

You shifted so you were on your side with your head on one pillow and your legs wrapped around the other. Your eyes were already half-lidded with exhaustion, ready to close and ignore that odd static in the back of your head. The lovely, familiar haze of entering sleep was falling over you like a blanket.

It slowed when you noticed movement by the doorway. Your tired eyes glanced over and caught sight of a shadowy figure, but you didn't react, not really. Just stared, thinking it was just some trick of the shadows and your sleep-deprived brain.

It was then violently ripped from you when it didn't disappear, and you realized that the figure was _real._

You shot up, accidentally kicking your charger off the bed as you scrambled backwards. Your back met the headboard with a thud, and you gripped your pillow in front of you as though it would add more distance between you and it. The static was stronger, now, and your mouth was already open, ready to scream.

But the sound never left your throat, instead replaced with the choked effort of getting air into your lungs. You sat up and coughed into your knees, keeping your head between them as you evened out your breathing. Your hand reached blindly for your phone and brought it to your face. 2:30 PM.

The sigh you let out was short and irritated. It's been a few days since your little stroll through the Underground. Most of your worries about someone knocking on your door to confront you about it have faded away by now... Key word being 'most', because there's always got to be some nagging feeling of paranoia, doesn't there?

You rolled off the bed and stumbled over the blanket you kicked off in the middle of your thrashing. After tossing it back on to the bed, you mentally listed off the chores you had to take care of today; groceries, dishes, cleaning the bathroom, cleaning in general, laundry.. A growl in your stomach prompted your feet to take you straight to the kitchen. Yes, food. All of that could be done after food.

 

-

 

It was only around 5 when you left the apartment with your mesh bag full of dirty clothes. There weren't that many dishes in the sink, and luckily there was a store only a block away you were able to do your shopping at. You never really had much out of place in between cleaning sessions, so the cleaning went by pretty fast too. All in all, you were feeling pretty good about your productivity today. You stepped off the bus, thanking the driver. Your eyes traveled to the homey building and the chipped paint of the sign that read “Dotty's Coin Laundry”.

The laundromat was a nice little place. It was old and well loved – the tiled floors were scratched up, but there were no piles of dust or spider webs in sight (Except for Jerome's, in the far corner of the establishment. No one was allowed to bother him; he was a very nice tenant.). There was never a piece of clothing left astray at any of the folding stations, and no gum stuck to the underside of the chairs distributed throughout the floor. Though the machines were unusually loud, you considered them to be in very good condition compared to the banged up one that you shared in your apartment. There were no malfunctioning or missing knobs or half exposed cords here.

The bell chimed as you nudged the door closed, adjusting the laundry bag slung over your shoulder. Looking around, you saw a head of shaggy white hair turn to you and smiled at the familiar face. “Hey, Dotty!”

You were treated to a wide, genuine grin with a few missing teeth and one silver one.“Ah, there you are! I was wondering when I'd be seeing you this week. Just can't get enough of me, hm?”

You both laughed, and she patted your arm kindly as she approached with questions about how you've been. Dotty was a friendly old woman, a widow with a son that worked as a lawyer. When you first met, you found her a little intimidating; her boisterous howling, wild hair and impish face were not what you expected of an owner of a quaint little laundromat. You had told her so, causing her to snort and slap your back. “The world out there? It doesn't like to deal with the likes of me. So I stay here where I can do whatever I want.” She said, before going on to show your around while weaving a tale of one of her old bar adventures. Getting to know her since was a joy for you.

“Has anything new and exciting happened around here, lately?” You asked, setting down your bag next to your usual washer. Though it hadn't been long since your last visit, it wasn't uncommon for there to be some odd occurrence in the area. That, and Dotty had a real affinity for storytelling, so you were always happy to listen if she had anything to say.

To your surprise, she shook her head. “Can't say anything has.” She chuckled at the look on your face, “Been quiet this past week. No kids spraying water guns full of paint, no geezers snoopin' around and trying to pick up any gossip about neighbours, no weirdos in costume askin' about the 'pokeymans'... Nothin'.” She sighed, inclining her head and looking past you with a resigned expression. It only lasted a moment, though, because her catty eyes slowly crinkled with amusement.

Your “What?” was lost as a frustrated “NYEH!!!” filled the room. You joined the other patrons as you looked towards the source of the noise, bewildered.

At the very end of the row of washers was a rather tall skeleton, dressed in a green crop top, a pair of jean shorts, and a red cap. He was facing the pile of clothes on his folding table, his hands on his hip bones. “YOU LAZY BONES! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HELP DO THE LAUNDRY, NOT _BE_ THE LAUNDRY!”

The powerful, reedy voice continued on with his string of grievances, and you wondered aloud. “Is he actually talking to someone, or is he using some wireless headset or something?”

“Oh, he's talking to someone.” Dotty answered, watching the strange monster with interest.

“But.. There's no one there.”

Her grin was plastered on her face. “Look closer.”

Your brows furrowed and you set your sights on the big, motionless pile. Scanning near the top of the mountain of clothes, you realized that there was a skeletal hand sticking out of a blue sleeve. Your eyes followed the sleeve, finding the rest of the sweater – and skeleton – it was attached to. He was laying face down, mostly covered by the layers of cloth, and you honestly would have thought he was a doll if he didn't turn his skull to the side.

His mouth was all teeth, and the white dots in his eyes looked up as he addressed the taller of the two. “sorry bro. but being the laundry is _loads_ more fun than doing the laundry.” He rumbled.

At this point, the other customers had already turned back to their own stations, but you and Dotty watched the taller skeleton groan and bury his face in his gloved hands. You shared a few giggles. “Well, there's new and exciting for you.”

“They're certainly new faces.” It was a simple statement, but you liked to think you were something of a regular now. You felt like you could recognize most, if not all of the other regulars that walked in and out of here.

“You should go introduce yourself.” She suggested suddenly, placing a hand on your shoulder. “You could use some more friends, I think.”

“You're saying that like I don't really talk to people.”

“That's cause you _don't_ really talk to people, honey.”

“But.. You're a person.”

“I'm the nutty old gal who owns the laundromat that you go to. That doesn't count.”

“..You got me there.”

Dotty chuckled, nudging you gently. “I'm teasing. Only if you want to.” She glanced over your shoulder at the sound of a frightened shriek. “Oh dear, seems someone's decided to bother Jerome again. Excuse me.” With that, she left, calling after the scared costumer and warning loudly not to disturb the (mostly) harmless spider, darn it!

You let out another giggle, shaking your head as you redirected your attention to your own laundry. You stuck your hand in the bag to begin the process of loading, casually peering over at the pair of skeletons at the end of your row. It looked like the small on was still sandwiched between the unwashed clothes, snoozing. The tall one had a small portion of clothes in his arms while he bent over and examined the knobs on the washer. You thought he was just contemplating which mode he should use, but you noticed that his brow bones were pinched close together in.. confusion? Worry? You thought for a moment, and it occurred to you; perhaps this monster wasn't all that familiar with washing machines. Earlier news reports had informed you that all the human tech that the monsters had in the Underground were old and more often than not, broken. Upon realizing this, you reached into the tub and pulled out the clothes you dropped in earlier, stuffing them in your bag decisively and swinging it over your shoulder.

You set down your laundry on top of the washer next to the skeleton with a thump, making him blink his knitted brows away and turn to you. The smaller skeleton's attention was on you too now, and you shoved your nerves away. “Looks like you're having a bit of trouble, there.” You put on the friendliest expression you can muster, “Do you need any help with that?”

 

-

 

Gaster was ecstatic when the barrier fell. Why wouldn't he be? After too many years of isolation, of struggling and doing their best to survive under Mt. Ebott's unforgiving weight, they were finally free. Freedom for his people was always his number one priority as the royal scientist, and why he became one in the first place – it was what he wished for more than anything. So of course he smiled at the joyous tears of the elderly monsters who passed him, eyes alight with the memories of the sky and breathing the fresh air. Of course he was overwhelmed with happiness at seeing children jump about in excitement and talk about the things they would do when they got to the surface.

There was no trace of sadness in him at all as he flitted from place to place, watching families gather their belongings to prepare for their migration. On the contrary, he was enjoying it, and his smile was the fullest and truest it had ever been until he reached his more frequented spot by a house in Snowdin.

Sans and Papyrus were in front of their home. Papyrus was carrying a box labelled _PAPYRUS' ACTION FIGURES AND IMPORTANT STUFF_ under his arm; Sans had on a ratty, partially unzipped backpack with a bottle of ketchup sticking out. Papyrus was speaking, animated as ever, and though Gaster was too far away to hear, he was sure that the skeleton was talking about the kind of car that he wanted to get. He saw Sans nod and take out a key from his pocket to lock the door behind them.

Gaster's smile faltered as they turned away from the house and started off. He followed them, watching their backs disappear at each stop until he switched to the location nearest to the Underground's exit. By the time they reached the entrance to the throne room, Gaster's form turned heavy and slow. He was only materialized from the upper chest and onward, an easy form to try and maintain, but he was already wavering. He felt tears sting his eyes as they walked towards his spot at the door. He thought then that if he looked at them hard enough, he could pretend that they were meeting his eyes and seeing him.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, “Boys. Take - take care of yourselves.” His speech was fast, uneven. The words split in the middle with each wave of tears. “Take care of each other. I'm so sorry.” He went unnoticed, shaking with the effort of keeping himself together.

“ _I'm sorry. I love you both.”_

It was the last thing he said to them. He knew that he would never see them again, that Sans hated being in the Underground just as much as he did and would never bring either of them back into that horrible place. It was his biggest regret that he wouldn't be able to be there with his sons when they arrived on the surface. He wouldn't be able to see Papyrus drive his new car, or get Sans a new telescope so they could look for all the constellations in the sky. He wouldn't be able to hold them or tell them he loved them or how so, so sorry he was that he left them alone. Then again, that was then.

Now, though, you were talking to Papyrus and he could _see_ them. He could see how much sharper Papyrus' jaw was, the rested look in Sans' sockets. Here were his noble, trustworthy Papyrus and his strong, persevering Sans. They were right here, closer than he had ever been able to get with his spots in the Underground, and he would cry if he could.

“THE MACHINE AT HOME IS BROKEN.” Papyrus was explaining, taking notes on a little pad of paper while he observed your process. “TORIEL SUGGESTED THAT WE GET ONE, SO THAT I DON'T NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME HANDWASHING EVERYTHING. BUT THEN WHEN I TRIED TO USE IT, THE ANNOYING DOG CAME AROUND AND JUMPED ON TOP OF THE LID AND WOULDN'T GET OFF.” His sockets narrowed in irritation at the memory. “SO I SHOUTED AND TRIED TO SHOO IT AWAY WITH A BONE. AND I BROKE THE MACHINE BY ACCIDENT. BUT I STILL WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO USE ONE! SO WE CAME HERE.”

“Oh. Well, that's good of you!” Was all you said as you twisted the timer and the whir of the washer started. You smiled up at him. “This is all there is too it, really! Just make sure you separate what you want separated, then figure out what option to set it on, here,” You pointed at the dial with the settings. “and then set the timer. And tada, you're done!”

“WOWIE! THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HUMAN!” Gaster felt a rush of joy seeing his face lit up with gratitude, “YOUR EXPERTISE ON THE ART OF LAUNDRY DOING IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

You laughed, feeling your cheeks get warm. “Aw, it's nothing really. I'm glad I could help you out, Great Papyrus!”

“THANK YOU! YOU ARE A MUCH BIGGER HELP THAN MY BROTHER.” He sent a small glare at the skeleton, who was now just laying on his back on the counter. This drew out another ringing laugh from you and Gaster. “THIS IS MY LAZY BONES BROTHER, SANS.”

Sans smiled lazily up at you (Was his mouth just always like that?) and waved slightly. Well, more like raised a hand and then let it fall on back down. “hey. nice to meet ya.”

You nodded back, introducing yourself with a small bow. Gaster waited anxiously for the answer to your next question. “Are you guys from around here?”

Papyrus nodded fervently, the cap on his head staying in place despite the movement. “WE'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF EBOTT TOWN!”

“Really? Same here! I'm a ten minute walk from the big park with the church out front - “

“oh, the one with the stained glass? we go for walks there sometimes.”

“I THINK YOU MEAN I GO FOR A JOG! YOU JUST SLEEP IN THE GRASS - “

“oh yeah. thanks for jogging my memory.”

“ _SANS_!!!”

The three of you continued your conversation, all the while Gaster's attention and thoughts latched onto his sons. The gears of his mind were rusted, but this was the perfect kick starter – and so, he began to think. There were doors available to him now, with his new form of 'existence'. He didn't know which ones would be _open_ him, not yet, but now that there was a way for him to be close to them, he was going to do his best to find out.

They were all he had when he was alive – they were all he had _now_. And if he had a chance to look after his sons, even if it had to be done through you... He would do it.

No matter what it takes.

 

***

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! I've just made it, phew... I thought I wasn't going to be able to post today, but I really wanted to get this chapter out for you guys. So we've run into Sans and Paps, and find out Gaster is a Dadster! :P Heheh.  
> As always, I (try to) update every Sunday/Monday! Kudos and comments are appreciated! :D If ya wanna, you can follow me on tumblr on my personal (dirtyfeetstreetwarrior.tumblr.com) or my all Undertale blog (sweetlilskell.tumblr.com). The latter is used less often, and is mostly an archive of all Undertale related things, so if you wanna chat or something, my personal is your best bet!  
> Again, thanks for reading everyone! I wish you all a lovely week!
> 
> EDIT (08/08/2016): Oh, gosh, it's Monday and I was supposed to update tonight, but I've been incredibly busy with other things. I just haven't had the time or energy to write and this is a chapter I really want to get right before posting. ; - ; I'll get the next one out asap and then see if I can get back on track next week! So sorry for the delay, and thanks again for reading! <3
> 
> \- Red


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, here it is finally!! I'm so so sorry for the wait D': I hope you all enjoy!!
> 
> \- Red

***

 

The most disheartening thing about Gaster's situation, he thought, was the fact that you didn't seem to retain any memory of your meeting at all. He should have known it would happen, of course. It only made sense that contact with his erased self would backfire somehow. Still, ever since leaving the Underground, you never once showed any sign of the concern he once saw - not even when you would look out your window and gaze at Mt. Ebott, face longing and sad but never worried.

You went about your days with the same ordinary routines – wake up, brush your teeth for an absurd amount of time (Sometimes, you spaced out and brushed the same spot for five minutes. It was ridiculous.), turn on the radio while you did chores, or switch on your television to a random channel while you surfed the internet on your phone. Not much changed around you, and from what he's seen so far your life seemed very... Well. Uneventful.

It was about a week later when you woke up earlier than he knew was usual for you. He watched, mildly curious as the beaten up sneakers you usually wore were replaced with nicer black loafers, and the t-shirt and jeans were traded for a collared yellow shirt and red pants.

"Where are you going?" He asked as you swung the loop of your satchel over your shoulder. He'd taken to speaking to you occasionally, using each instance to test out your receptiveness.

There was no response, and he sighed, resigning himself to silence as you left the apartment.

 

The summer sun was on your bare face, filtering through your lashes and causing you to squint at your phone. “Is this really as high as the brightness goes?” You mumbled, parking yourself on the grass by the sidewalk. A hand went up to shield your eyes, and you proceeded to scan the area, presumably looking for some sort of landmark.

An inaudible sound of irritation left Gaster. You'd been at this for about half an hour now, wandering around and trying to find... someplace. It was enough for some of the mystery of the whole thing to escape him.

"Do you not know where you are?" Gaster inquired, trying to peek over your shoulder at your phone screen. "That map looks simple enough. That blue dot is your location, correct?"

He got no answer as you adjusted the strap of your satchel on your shoulder and continued on. You looked hesitant and perhaps a little nervous. "Okay, I think... Yeah, this way.

Gaster groaned.

After going around the same few blocks twice and accidentally ending up in the middle of a game of catch between two dog monsters (the ball had landed at your feet and you hadn't been able to resist), it seemed that your destination was in sight. As your pace quickened, Gaster looked ahead. You were headed toward a small strip of stores in the middle of a plaza, decorated with a mosaic patterned fountain placed tastefully in the center. The stores ahead of you had no written words, only symbols of what could be inside. All were colourful - there was a sign of a book, a rainbow, a cupcake, an ice cream cone, and a paintbrush. An interesting line up, Gaster thought.

Before he could try and guess which you would walk into, the jingle of an entrance bell rang and both of you were boxed in by walls of light blue. The ceiling was high and the natural light from outside poured in, illuminating the small paintings of smiling cartoon ice cream. On the far wall was a large chalk board filled with menu items, listing flavours and combinations and prices all together. You walked straight up to the counter where, cased behind glass, there were buckets full of every sort of nice cream one could imagine.

Gaster ogled them all while you addressed the monster writing on the chalkboard, “Hey, Ben! Sorry I'm late...” There was clear embarrassment in your voice as you slid behind the counter, “I got kind of lost. Again.”

'Ben' shifted to face you, and Gaster realized two things. One was that he recognized this monster; the bright blue fur, welcoming smile and tall ears belonged to none other than Benjamin Bun. Or as most of the Underground knew him, the Nice Cream Guy. The second realization came as he glanced back and forth between the two of you, taking in your matching outfits. Ah.

“Aw, that's okay! It hasn't been too busy!” Benjamin stepped down from the stool he was on, patting away the chalkiness from his hands. “I just wrote up our nice quote for the day – what do you think?”

You and Gaster raised your eyes to the board. At the bottom of all the menu choices, a quote was written in big, blocky letters and underlined with a rainbow for emphasis.

**A SMILE CAN MAKE SOMEONE'S BAD DAY A LITTLE BRIGHTER. I HOPE SOMETHING MAKES YOU SMILE TODAY!**

A little 'awww' slipped out of your mouth. “That's really nice, Ben. That's bound to make someone smile.”

Happiness radiated from the rabbit-like monster at your words. “I hope so! I think it'll be another great day today.” He opened his arms to you, and your lips spread in a grin as you stepped into them for a brief hug. Afterwards, he held you out at arm's length, eyes narrowed with consideration. “How are you? How's everything?”

Gaster didn't see the way your shoulders stiffened slightly, or how your eyes slipped to the floor, but he did notice the lengthy pause you took before you answered. “Oh, I'm okay.” he heard you say, “Everything's same old, same old. Nothing new, heh.”

This seemed to be an unsatisfying answer for Ben, because his ears wilted and he pulled you in for another embrace. It took you a second to raise your arms and return it, your hands clutching loosely at the fabric of his shirt.

Hm. That wasn't the response he expected. Gaster eyed the top of your head contemplatively, wondering what he was missing when the chime of the doorbell cheerily rang. You immediately backed away from Ben to say a synchronized “Hello! Welcome to the Nice Cream Shop!”.

After serving the customer and sending them on their way with a cone in hand, you and Ben decided to switch between serving up front and helping out in the back. Ben bumped his hip into yours as he passed, nearly making you drop the scoop in your hand. He laughed at your pout and waved as he disappeared into the back of the store. “Just holler if you need anything!”

“Yeah, yeah!” The way you rolled your eyes contradicted the fondness in them, and you went back to restocking the nice cream.

The day rolled on like this; you kept yourself busy, cleaning off scoops and replacing the flavours that emptied throughout the day. Customers were mostly monsters and a few curious humans looking for something to cool them down from the heat. Each of them left with their faces a little brighter, or simply buried in their newly obtained treat. Soon enough, the entire shop was lit with the rays of the afternoon sun.

You waved goodbye to a sweet lion monster carrying with them a waffle bowl, overflowing with various flavours of nice cream. “Enjoy the rest of your day! Take care, now – don't drop it!" Your smile held until the chime announced your cue, and you took that opportunity to lean back against the counter.

“Busy day.” Gaster said simply, while you turned and rinsed your hands in the sink. His eyes followed the movement of your hands under the water, “I suppose that's to be expected, the weather seems to be ideal for nice cream today.”

He ignored the disappointment that came when you yelled into the back of the store, “Alright, I'm good to switch out now!” You wiped your hands on a towel, turning the nozzle off when Gaster heard the telltale ring of a customer's entrance.

He snickered. So much for that.

He watched you inhale in preparation. “Welcome to the Nice Cream Shop!” Spinning on your heel, you faced the new guests, and the smile on your face turned into a small 'o'. Gaster's expression was the same, because before he two of you were none other than Sans, Papyrus, and the human child Frisk.

They were all in appropriate summer garb and each wearing matching pairs of sunglasses (except Sans, he was still wearing that fur lined sweater of his. Honestly, Gaster could never figure out why he was attached to the thing.). One pair was pushed up to rest on top of a skull, revealing the lit up expression of Papyrus. “LAUNDRY HUMAN!!” He cleared the floor with two large steps, approaching the counter with enthusiasm practically leaking from his person. “WE MEET AGAIN!”

“Great Papyrus, Sans!” You returned, surprise lacing your words as you glanced between them. Sans nodded to you in greeting when your eyes met. “Yeah, seems like we do!”

“it's ice to see you again.” Said Sans, garnering giggles from you, as well as a groan from the taller skeleton.

“SANS. YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE THAT PUN EVERY TIME WE COME HERE.”

“aw cone on, bro. you gotta admit it's pretty punny.”

More laughter threaded through the group of you, and Gaster noticed a mop of brown hair move forward to the glass case. Your eyes caught the movement as well, and you went to stand directly behind the display. Bending forward, you asked kindly, "See anything you like?"

The child blinked out of their nice cream induced trance, withdrawing from the glass to look up at you. They'd certainly grown since the last time Gaster saw them; their choppy brown hair just barely brushed their shoulders now, and their face was fuller, more healthy looking. Their knees were lacking the band aids that littered them back in the Underground, the soiled bandage no where in sight. It seemed that their new life on the surface was treating them well.

"THIS IS FRISK!" Papyrus interjected when the silence became a fraction too long. "FRISK, THIS IS LAUNDRY HUMAN," he gestured to you as he said your name.

"Frisk?" Your face turned thoughtful, before recognition clicked and your mouth dropped open again. "Wait - Frisk! Frisk the monster ambassador?"

The title made Gaster gasp. Monster ambassador? His eyes locked on to the child. For them to be at such a position, at such a young age.. What a weight to put on one small human.

"that's right." Sans stepped up and placed a hand on their head, ruffling their hair. They giggled at the gesture. "the one and only."

"Wow. It's really nice to meet you, Frisk!" You said, voice high with excitement. You beamed at them as though they were a gift you just opened. "You've probably heard this a bunch, but it what you did was really amazing."

Frisk's face turned a nice shade of pink while their shoulders rose in a shrug. They shook their head earnestly.

“WE JUST CAME FROM THE PARK!” Came Papyrus' voice. "WE WERE ABOUT TO GO HOME, BUT THEY WANTED TO STOP BY AND GET SOME NICE CREAM."

"I see!" You looked again to Frisk. "Well then, take your pick! It's on me - Ah, really, it's fine!" You insisted, waving off their silent but hurried protests. "I'd be happy to treat you."

Frisk's shoulders sagged in defeat. Their face was still tinged pink, and they did something that struck Gaster. They brought their hand up, pressing three fingers to their lips and then extending their hand as though blowing a kiss.

"kid says 'thank you'." Sans translated.

Gaster gaped at them. Of course they would learn sign language, he thought after a moment. They weren't much of a conversationalist. In fact, Gaster could hardly recall a time when he'd heard them speak. He glimpsed at Sans and Papyrus, filing the information away for later.

Understanding crossed your face before it passed, leaving you still smiling. “No problem! Now, let's see – point to the ones you want and I'll whip it up for you! Cone or cup?”

It took you no time at all to serve up the young ambassador with a waffle cone topped with a scoop of mint and chocolate nice cream. You asked the skeletons if they wanted any, offering to treat them as well, but both declined.

“saving up room for dinner.” Sans patted the top of his coat with a wink.

“Oh! What's it going to be?”

“I'M GOING TO BE MAKING SPAGHETTI!” Announced Papyrus.

“Sounds delicious.” You sighed wistfully, apparently oblivious to Frisk's screwed up expression. “It's been so long since I've had a home cooked meal. I'm not so great in the kitchen.”

“WELL, THEN YOU ARE IN LUCK, HUMAN! BECAUSE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM AN EXCELLENT COOK!” He replied, placing a hand on his chest with a proud “NYEH!!”

“Yeah?” You straightened with interest, and Gaster knew he would have too. He hoped this was going where he thought it was going.

“YES!” He held his head high, “I AM PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED!!”

“That's really cool! I would take lessons but, well, I've got a lot on my plate right now.” You said, your lips quirking up at the low chuckling from the other two.

Papyrus didn't seem to notice, or maybe he simply ignored it in favour of saying, “IF YOU WANTED TO PURSUE THE HONORABLE ART KNOWN AS COOKING, I WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE YOU UNDER MY WING!”

Sudden laughter filled the air, “Heheh, good one!” You wiped at your eye, looking up into Papyrus' serious face. You blinked when his expression remained the same, “I – wait, really? Me? Oh, I don't know..” You hesitated, unsure now. “I've tried to learn before, but it didn't get me anywhere.”

“ALL THE MORE REASON I SHOULD BE YOUR TEACHER!”

Papyrus went on to list the numerous reasons he would make a great mentor. Every now and then, Sans would pipe up with an addition from himself or Frisk, who mostly nodded along, spreading more chocolate mint across their lips. All the while you were doing the same, seemingly enraptured by the skeleton's enthusiastic self promotion.

Gaster felt a surge of excitement. This was his chance. If you accepted this, he would be able to be close enough to keep an eye out for them while figured out what to do about... this. Yes. Yes! He took a chance, blurting out, "Do it! You should do it.”

At that moment, he saw you pause. Your brows pinched together slightly and your eyes strayed away from the conversation, as though listening for something.

He held his breath. Did you just hear him?

Hope bloomed and he rushed to take advantage of this, words tumbling out in a hurried string. "Listen to me - this would be good for you. You would benefit from this and I would be able to look after them at the same time! Please, I – I need to do this for them.”

It was hard to tell if he made any sense to you, but he took the thoughtful look on your face a good sign. But to Gaster's dismay, a voice tugged you out of your concentration.

"HUMAN?"

It made you jump. The distance between you and the skeleton monster was closed, the only thing separating you being the counter. He was staring down at you, brow bones raised expectantly. "I UNDERSTAND IF YOU NEED TIME TO CONSIDER! IT WOULD BE A VERY DEMANDING PROCESS, AFTER ALL."

"yeah. he'd work you to the bone."

"YES, I W - SANS!" He turned to his companions, throwing his hands up. Sans' grin was the same, while Frisk failed to hide their amusement behind their hand. "FRISK!! DON'T ENCOURAGE THIS!"

You watched them with unfocused eyes, and Gaster wondered whether you were trying to listen for him again or just thinking it over. Just as he was about to speak, repeat his words, something else grabbed his attention.

The glass of the nice cream case reflected back everything; The sink behind you, the menu, the quote Ben had written in bold font, even the cracks in the tiles on the floor. Nothing was out of place, except for you.

You weren't there at all. In place of the bright colours of your uniform was.. him. He was a transparent, barely visible blob of darkness – roughly the same shape he took when he was stuck in the Underground. In his shock, his eyes roamed over himself. His hands, fully formed but as see through as the rest of him, were resting at his sides. When they twitched to life, he held them up, looking down and flexing his fingers. He could see himself now - though it was barely a fraction of what he was in the Underground. He let himself go still, and there it was; the vibrating pulses that went through his body were present again.

He was so lost in this development that he'd almost forgotten where he was. A loud thump was heard and another voice was added to the room.

"Hey, sorry for the hold up, you ready to switch? I got carried away with the stock in the back, someone mislabelled cotton candy and bubble gum, can you believe it?" The rabbit monster emerged from the doorway, rubbing his hands together. He stopped mid step upon seeing the group of you, smiling bright. "Oh, well hey there! Those are some familiar faces! How's it going?"

Waves and hellos were exchanged all around. And after establishing that yes, you had met the brothers once before, the dialogue blew up into a chorus of voices mixed in with Frisk's signing and Papyrus' broad gestures.

Meanwhile, Gaster redirected his focus to the glass of the shop's door. In it he could see everyone together, lively and animated. He could see Sans' relaxed grin, framed by the smooth curves of his skull. Papyrus was beside him, tall and imposing but friendly all the same. And near them, where you were meant to be standing, was Gaster himself. He was a hunched over, incomplete haze, but it was still him. He stared and stared, committing the image to his memory. It was the way things were supposed to be.

An something blossomed in the wake of the collective laughter. Gaster had an idea.

 

-

 

The door shut with a click and you raised your arms in a sweeping stretch, sighing contentedly when you felt your back pop. A busy day at the shop always left you with a deep feeling of satisfaction. The light atmosphere combined with the happy chattering customers were the perfect formula for a good day. It was a place you were glad to be working at, even if you were only there every now and again. 

Seeing Sans and Papyrus had been a nice surprise. They were fun monsters to talk to, and there was never a dull moment. They were even friends with Frisk, who you thought a very modest kid considering they had saved an entire race of people. You had been alone on your excursion, but them? The thought of them being in down there, surrounded by a bunch of strangers? They must have been afraid, but they still had the courage to set them free, and they succeeded! It blew your mind.

You thought back to Papyrus' offer and smiled. It was a very sudden, very small thing, but his eagerness had been incredibly refreshing. You'd never met someone so loud and proud. Before leaving, he asked for your phone.

“LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED!!” He said above the clacking of his fingers on the screen (How did that even work?? Did skeletons even have body heat?). “I WOULD BE HAPPY TO PASS ON MY KNOWLEDGE TO YOU!”

After inputting your own number into his phone, you thanked him and told him that you would definitely consider it. And you would, really.

You hoped silently that you would be seeing more of them. Dotty had been right, after all – you really didn't have many friends. Well, any, really. Friends were people you hung out with, and you didn't do that with Dotty, though you did enjoy her company. You supposed that Ben could count as one, but you were hesitant to label it friendship when really, he was your boss. And now that you thought about it, you didn't even know what he did or liked to do outside work! Whoops. You made a mental note to change that the next time you were called in.

Your shoes were discarded easily and you tossed your satchel on your bed before heading to the bathroom. Once there, you tucked your stray hairs behind your ears and turned on the faucet. The water ran as you squeezed a bullet of toothpaste on to your toothbrush, and your eyes rested on the small waterfall as you stuck it in your mouth and began to brush absentmindedly. It wasn't the greatest thing to do, but it was oddly calming. The sound reminded you of running bubble baths, made up songs about soap suds and warm hands tickling you through a huge towel. You could almost smell the fruitiness of the bath and hear a soft string of kind laughter. Your eyes glazed over with the memory.

The feeling of raw gums snapped you out of your stupor, though, and you quickly spit out the contents of your mouth. You rinsed it out and reached for the towel. The fabric tickled your mouth as you patted it and looked up

only to drop the towel into the sink. Instead of you, there stood a misty, dark shadow of a person, staring with hollowed out eyes and a crescent shaped smile. White lights appeared inside them, fixating themselves on you.

" **Hello, again.** ” They said.

 

***


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Gaster meet for the second time.

***

 

You believed in the paranormal. You were no fanatic; you tried to steer clear of haunted houses (the ones for show _and_ the real ones) and ghost hunting, but you did enjoy the occasional horror movie. So, you knew how these things tended to start.

The tingling sensation of your hair rising on your neck was normal at the nice cream shop. It was a little cooler and occasionally there would be a draft from the back room. It would tickle your exposed skin, mostly behind your ears and arms, spreading a layer of coldness over it. The sensation was a bit distracting at times, but didn't hinder your work in any way. Working through a chill was a tolerable thing.

During the conversation with Papyrus, Sans and Frisk, the feeling brushed against you. But as it lingered, you soon realized it was different. It was very similar to the feeling you got when, after walking with socked feet on the carpet, you were close to giving the next person you touched a little shock. It was as though electricity was humming just above the surface of your skin.

" **D o I t . . . !** "

It floated, passing through you like a minor breeze. Distorted though it was, you recognized it as a voice. But you didn't look around, or away from the gesticulating skeleton; it would have been rude.

“ **L i s t e n . . . . o o d f o r y o u . .** “

It was a skewed, jumbled sound, but you could have sworn the voice was pleading. Familiarity washed over you.. Why was it familiar? The static was making it hard to think.

“ **P l e a s e. . .** “

The noise grew and grew.

“ **. . . f o r t h e m .** ”

Your search for the answer halted as Papyrus brought your attention back to him. Heat crept up your neck as he said something about needing time. Oh yeah, you would be needing some time.. To sleep, that is. Or maybe just to drink some water, or take a break. Hearing voices out of the blue wasn't a good sign.

For the rest of your time with the brothers and Frisk, your attention drifted away and back. There were no more voices, but the feeling of _something_ being there hadn't left. Even after they had gone and you were swiping your rag over the quote of the day, your mind still went back to it.

You'd thought before about how you would handle being haunted, followed around by some unknown entity. The idea of seeing shadows in the corner of your eye or having your things mysteriously being thrown across the room... It wasn't very appealing. You didn't want to have to call in investigators, or a priest or – Oh, geez. You didn't want to have to be exorcised. The thought made you nauseous with anxiety. You were sure that in the event of a haunting, you'd either scream and get the hell out of the area.. Or faint.

The answer came when the toothbrush clattered to the floor. You were frozen in place, pinned down by circular white lights.

Neither of you made a move until your fingers threaded through your hair desperately, “Ahah. Hah! I'm dreaming, aren't I?” It was a question directed more at the universe than the person, and your head shook. Making contact with the wall behind you sent a shiver down your spine. “This – you're not real.”

“ **I assure you, I'm very real.** ” The voice sounded as though it was in your head, rather than coming straight from the turned up mouth. It was deep, almost clinical sounding, but there was a trace of something more pleasant in it too. “ **You're not dreaming. You haven't even gone to bed.** ”

He was right; the goosebumps that prickled your skin were not fake. The static from earlier in the day was back, in the background of this being's presence. Though now the hum was stronger, more prominent. The longer you looked at him, the more familiar he became – no, that wasn't right. This feeling was what was familiar. And his voice; but it was clear, not garbled or broken or...

Oh, God.

“At the shop...” Your legs shook underneath your weight, threatening to drop you to the floor next. “That was you.”

His head bounced up and down in an awkward nod. “ **It was indeed.** ”

Eyes rounded, you swallowed your fear enough to pluck up the nerve to ask. "Are you a.. a ghost?" He certainly _looked_ like one. A creepy face with minimal features, a gooey, transparent body... He reminded you of a half-melted wax figure.

Chuckles resounded, rolling and chime-like. " **No. If I was, I would have had a much easier time with this.** " The figure drew himself up, “ **My name is Wing Dings Gaster, R – ah,** ” he stopped. The smile twitched to a frown, and then back. “ **Or just Gaster. You may call me Gaster.** ”

“Gaster...” The name escaped you. It wasn't one you recognized. “So then you're..?”

“ **A monster, yes.** ”

That eased some of the tension from your shoulders. It didn't answer everything, though. So tentatively, you stepped forward. “How are you here?”

“ **If I am honest, I don't know.** ” Gaster replied, humming in thought. “ **But I can tell you how I came to be here.** ”

And so began the tale of your meeting. He told you about how he saw you enter he Underground and followed you through on your journey, weary of your sudden appearance after over a year of nothing. “ **At some point I stopped, and..”** A pause, **“..and deemed you a non-threat, so I went to a room where I was able to form.** ”

“What do you mean, able to form?” Confusion pushed your brows together, “You mean, you didn't have a body?”

His eye lights widened, “ **Ah – no, I didn't. You see, I'm..** ” As he trailed off, you observed the way his face wavered just a little, like it was processing what he was going to tell you. “ **My magic was spread across different locations and objects in the Underground, and through those places I was able to manifest myself.. to certain degrees, depending on how much magic was in one spot.** ” Explained the monster, “ **It was what allowed me to follow you.** ”

That made sense... sort of. You didn't know much about monsters and their capabilities, and you told him so apologetically.

“ **I see. Then there is no need to go into the specifics.** ” He said nonchalantly. “ **Shall I continue?** ”

At your nod, he cleared his throat. “ **It was in the room that you found me. We spoke and when I told you I was bound to wherever my magic was, you tried to get me to leave. But being in that space did something to us.** ”Gaster's voice turned contemplative. **“I do not know exactly what it was.. When I regained consciousness, I was like this.** ”

The information sunk in, and you wracked your brain for the memories. Nothing. Just the abandoned puzzles and the warm house. The chill of the snowy town and the whispers of talking flowers. There were no recollections of your encounter with the monster, or any monster. How in the world did you forget something so significant? You felt as though you should be really alarmed, but you weren't. The fear had passed, leaving you oddly... calm?

Your hands slid down from your hair to your cheeks, holding your mouth closed. “That's...Wow. Alright then.”

There was another gap of silence between the next words, which came from him. “ **'Alright then'? Is that truly all you have to say?** ” He asked you, eyes expanded in a dubious look. A shrug of your shoulders made him look even more so. “ **You aren't disturbed by this?** ” He gestured between you.

“Not.. really?” You frowned, looking down as you dug through your emotions. “Maybe? I was scared, and I'm weirded out - really weirded out, but I'm not upset. Do I have any reason to be?" When there was no response, you went on, "Do you peek when I change or watch me while I sleep, or anything creepy like that?”

His haze-like body jerked, flaring up. There was a dusty tone of grey under his eyes, and he let out an indignant noise. “ **Of- of course not! Why, I would never – no!** “

"Can you hear my thoughts?"

" **No!** "

“Then no, I'm not that disturbed.” You bent down, reaching for the toothbrush at your feet. You gave it a quick once over. “As long as you're not trying to possess me or use me to do horrible things, we're fine." And it was true; having a displaced monster was a million times better than being haunted by a malevolent spirit.

Distracted, you didn't notice Gaster's form twitch violently. His hands jerked and something like lightning rippled through his body, tearing it and leaving it to reform on its own. It flashed a look of guilt on his face before reverting back to what it was.

His lack of an answer went unnoticed as well, filled in with the clink of the toothbrush going in its holder. "This isn't as freaky as it could be.” You said. “Although, I hope it's not permanent.. No offence to you!” Your hands raised in reassurance. “I'm just not sure I'll be able to deal with a roomie for the rest of my life. Especially if said roomie is, y'know, sharing my body.”

His marred mask of a face cleared, looking more thoughtful than offended. “ **...Understandable. I don't wish to stay like this for longer than necessary, either.** ” The tapping finger lifted to prop up his chin. “ **I do not know if this can be fixed. Perhaps if I were human or if you were a monster, it would be more simple. But a cross-species reversal of this could prove to be difficult. The results could go any which way, there is no precedent for a situation like this...** ” He went on, pacing as he spoke. You didn't quite understand what he was going on about – terms such as magic and monster physiology were thrown around and frankly, they flew over your head.

Throughout his rambling, you took a second to gather your own thoughts. So unknown to you, this monster had been watching you in your everyday life.. You inwardly cringed at the thought. Your life wasn't exactly movie material. Your gaze settled on the contents of the mirror, watching Gaster pace (or float?) back and forth in the space that you were supposed to be occupying.

Well, maybe now it was.

“Um, excuse me?” Your inquiry made him look up at you and gosh, that was going to take some getting used to. "So, you said that you're living through me, right? You can only go where I am."

“ **Yes.** ”

"Then it looks like I'm going to have to help you out there if we want to get out of uh, this.." You waved at the space between the both of you. "Whatever this is."

" **That's right.** " He nodded, pupils flickering in what you thought was a blink. " **As I am now, I cannot do anything but offer you my intellect. You will have to do most of the heavy lifting, I'm afraid.** ”

Your lips pressed together in a thin line. It wasn't ideal, but... “Can't be helped, I guess.” You finished the thought out loud, ending it with a yawn behind your hand. “Oh, man, excuse me. It was busy at work today...” Realizing your error, you laughed nervously. “But you, uh, already knew that.”

There wasn't much else to say, so you used the silence to cap the toothpaste and set it to the side of the sink. The feeling of his eyes on you remained, and you did your best not to squirm under the studying gaze as you cleaned up the area. Once you were done, you turned to exit the bathroom. “Oh,” Your foot hovered an inch off the ground, setting itself down after a moment. Glancing back at the mirror, you saw Gaster's questioning expression. “I know you said you can't really do anything, but you're technically a guest right now. Is there something _I_ can do to make your stay more.. pleasant?” It was probably silly to ask, but you weren't willing to be seen as a rude host.

The monster considered you for a moment. He replied slowly, the words drawing out in your head. “ **..No. I am alright.** ”

“Oh.” You repeated. Warmth spread on your cheeks, highlighting your embarrassment. “Okay. Well. Just shout if you need anything - actually, don't shout. Just.. Yeah.” Stuttering, you made to leave, not waiting for a confirmation.

He didn't say anything after that. You hastily entered your room and went on with the rest of your routine; check your phone battery to see if it needed charging, change into comfortable clothes (you were counting on Gaster's word about the peeking), hop into bed and bury yourself in blankets. Once you were laying on your back, you stared at the ceiling. “What a day..” You mumbled, shutting your eyes. Eventually you drifted off, the events of the day finally getting into your tired bones.

That night you dreamt of the empty halls of a house, faded green wallpaper, and the haunting melody of a music box.

 

***

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! First I wanna say thanks to all who've commented and kudos'd so far :D I've been so busy lately that I've only been able to write this in pieces. :') Looks like a weekly schedule isn't going to be possible for me, but don't worry. This won't be a project I'm dropping anytime soon. I'm determined to finish this! 
> 
> That said, I can't say for sure when the next chapter will be out, but I will try to get chapters to you guys as soon as my schedule allows! For now, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day! (I say, as I post this at 1:14 AM....) Thanks again!
> 
> \- Red


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Gaster have something in common: You're both awkward noodles.

***

A soft refrain faded into the birdsong that fluttered in through the window, accompanied by the shine of the morning sun. It crept up the blankets to greet your face, causing you to stir. The cogs in your brain creaked as they turned, registering the way your eyelids were painted orange by the light. They opened, slowly, and you found yourself face to face with your textured ceiling. Your breathing was even and the comforting weight of your blanket covered your waking body. Another day.

Each inhale cleared your mind enough for you to slide the blanket off your shoulders. A chill ran through you, though, and you tugged the fabric back up to your chin with a frown. Apparently your room temperature didn't like to adjust to the weather outside. Of course.

Your arm poked out of the mass. You patted your hand around the bed, feeling around for the arm of a sweater or a stray long sleeved shirt.

“To the left a bit.”

You yelped, throwing your head into the head board. The thud vibrated in the back of your head, like a clapper hitting the walls of a bell. “Ow, ow, ow... Ah, God...”

“Oh, dear.” Came Gaster's voice again, a bit softer, “My apologies, human.”

You responded with a groan and hid your face in your pillow. Right. You had a monster roomie now, who spoke to you through your head, which was pounding from the impact. So much for a peaceful awakening. “It's.. It's okay. Just give me a second.”

And he did, leaving you to lay there for an undetermined amount of time. When the ringing stopped and morning fuzziness faded, you lifted yourself off the bed to sit up, taking the old sweater and shrugging it on. Apparently the floor was cold too, and you grumbled as you got up and padded down the hall to the kitchen.

The stove was a little outdated, the coils of each burner dark and scratched with use. A line of duct tape held the timer dial together, and an unidentifiable stain marked the wall above it. One of the cabinet doors was half open, revealing a jar of peanut butter, an opened sack of sugar and what could only be described as a container full of dark brown sawdust, with nothing to label it but the smudged sharpie that seemed to read 'cofffffeee'. The counter was spotless, save for the stack of empty takeout containers and loaf of bread sitting closer to the sink. It was a bit of a squeeze, but it was just enough and easy to manage, so you had no real complaints.

You opened the fridge, pouting at your selection. A carton of milk sat next to a sad looking bar of butter, and on the bottom rack was a carton with one egg and a bag of baby carrots. You sighed, taking out a carton of milk while the other hand worked on plugging in the toaster.

It was when you were inserting a slice of bread into the slot that you heard a throat clear. You poured yourself a glass of milk as you waited for more. When nothing came, you debated speaking up. The memory of your stuttering from the previous night made you take a sip of your milk instead.

The piece of toast was finished quickly, the milk downed in a few gulps. Soapy water covered your hands as you soaked your dishes, including the ones from the past few days. Might as well take care of them now. You took the sponge from the side of the sink and began rubbing at a plate.

Gaster spoke as you were fitting it into the drying rack. “Human.”

“Yeah?”

“What are your plans for the day, if I may ask?” There was hesitance there. “Will you be going back to the Nice Cream shop today?”

You recognized the attempt at small talk. You took comfort in the stiffness of his approach, thankful that you weren't the only awkward party. The hand moving the sponge back and forth slowed, “No, not today. I only go in when he needs me.” _Which isn't often_. The addition went unspoken, and you continued. “I think I might go shopping today, though.”

“Ah. Yes, I suppose you are lacking a bit of.. ”

“Everything?” You supplied, wiping your chin on your sleeve. A too-quick movement had caused the water to practically jump out of the sink, almost into your mouth. Ew.

“Well, humans need nutrients, do they not? And a certain sort, if I recall.”

“That's true. But not all of us can afford to eat healthy.”

“There are unhealthy foods?” His tone turned curious, and you tried not to start at the sight of his concave form in the metal of the spoon you were holding. With a squint, you saw his eye lights blink at you.

“Well, yeah. Sweets like candy and chocolate, and fast food are generally not so good for us. I mean, we do it anyway, but as long as we don't eat them _all_ the time, we should be okay.” You rinsed it out and placed it on the rack. “We need to eat good food, otherwise our bodies will give out on us. Isn't it the same with monsters?”

There was a pause. It must have been filled with a gesture that was out of your sight, because a hasty “No” was given in reply. “Not entirely, at least. Monsters have no real need to eat, unless it is to recover from injury.”

“Oh.. So then – oops.” The plate in your hand disappeared into the murky dish water. You huffed, reaching in again. “So then, some monsters just like to eat for fun?”

“That's correct, yes.”

You let out a hum. The last plate clanked against the wall of the sink as you lifted it up. “What sort of things do you like to eat? When you do eat, I mean.”

Another pause. You stayed still this time as you waited for the reply, but the silence lingered longer than you thought and it urged you to speak. “Gaster?”

When it came it echoed in your head, quiet and wistful. “Quiche.” he said. “I enjoy quiche.”

“Oh,” The shift in mood wrapped around you, and you responded carefully, but tried to keep your tone the same. “That sounds nice. I don't think I've tried a quiche before.”

You heard him inhale and clear his throat again. His voice returned to its regular volume, “You should. It's an enjoyable dish.”

“I will.” Was all you could say, then, and you turned back to the sink, watching the filthy dish water swirl down the pipe.

 

The rest of the day passed similarly, with clumsy conversation sprinkled throughout. Your trip to the store had been brief enough that there were no real words said between you, aside from your muttering as you read through your grocery list and Gaster's warning about the sturdiness of your grocery bags. (“The bananas are poking out of the bag, human.”) Both of you were making an effort, but the dialogue would often fade into silence almost as quickly as it came. Having a constant companion was harder - and more awkward - than you could have imagined.

At the moment, you were lounging on the couch, surfing through the channels. Well, trying to. The remote was giving you trouble, refusing to change the channel despite your insistent clicking on the 'Next' button.

You swore under your breath, switching tactics. You went from constant clicking, to holding the button down at length. The cued laughter from the talk show that was playing only made you press down harder. “Come on..”

“May I make a suggestion?” Gaster's voice echoed, and you looked up at where your closest reflection would be – the water-filled glass on the coffee table – to see him eyeing the device in your hand.

You tilted your head, sitting up a bit. “Sure, I guess. What is it?”

“Perhaps you could try replacing the batteries.” He replied, pointing one long finger at the bottom of the remote. “When was the last time you changed them?”

“Uh,” When _did_ you last change them? You flipped the remote and stared at the backside, thinking. “I... don't know, actually.”

The host of the show was going on about some sort of trend that you actively ignored in favour of rummaging through the drawer in the coffee table. You fingers brushed against an opened pack of batteries and you popped the cover off the remote, switching the current ones for the new. After sliding the cover back, you held up the remote toward the television and pressed 'Next'. The scene switched from people staring at guys with their hair in buns, to an animated show where a suited lady with a rose was dramatically singing a very sad sounding song.

Heat filled your face, and you sunk back into the couch, attempting to bury yourself in its raggedy plushness. You glared at the remote in your hands, as though it was to blame for absolutely everything. It stretched on for a while and you ended up sighing. “Thanks.” You said, unsure if you were grateful that you couldn't see your embarrassment mirrored back at your from your glass.

Remote fixed, you took to clicking through the various channels. A game show, several different kids programs (“Hah, yeah, that is a talking sponge.”), and a reality show later, you came across the cooking channel.

At the sight of a chef laying out ingredients on a counter, you lowered the remote. The chef was enthusiastically going about, explaining which tools the viewer would need to prepare the salad that they were going to make. Their zeal at pointing out the types of cheese that you could put in had you smiling a little.

A sound brought your attention to the glass, where Gaster returned your gaze with his own interested one. “A cooking show?”

“Oh, I don't actually want to watch it,” You said. You crossed your legs over each other, shimmying backwards until your back was comfortable against the couch. “It just reminded me of someone.”

“Would it be, perhaps, that fellow from the shop yesterday?”

You blinked, “How did you - “

“I was there, if you recall.” He said lightly, and the sound of your hand smacking your forehead after was alarmingly loud.

“Right, right. Yeah, Papyrus.” Your hand slid down your face until it rested in your palm. You blew a stray hair our of your line of sight, “He's pretty cool.”

“He seems very cool, yes.” He made a noise that sounded somewhere between agreeable and reflective. “What are your thoughts on his offer?”

“To teach me how to cook?” At his nod, you gave a noncommittal shrug. “It sounds nice. And it _would_ be more fun to learn with someone else...”

“What is stopping you?”

The question made you frown to yourself. “I'm just...” Digging around for the words, you chose the most accessible answer. “.. I'm just not great with people. As you know.” The absence of a denial made you go on, “And I'm not a great student.”

You lowered your eyes to the glass at a scoff. Gaster had his arms crossed, or was doing something akin to that. His hands rested on the blackness where his upper arms were supposed to be. “Nonsense. There is no such thing as a bad student, if you are willing to learn.”

Another shrug, “I don't know...”

“You said it yourself; humans need healthy food.”

“Yeah –“

“And that human at the laundry place, the old woman –”

“Dotty?”

“– Yes, she even she insisted that you should acquaint yourself.” He explained, straightening resolutely. “So, it would be taking care of two things at once; you would be learning how to cook, which would in turn help you widen your selection of food and push you to a healthier lifestyle, and you would be gaining friends. ”

You stared at him. You weren't sure if you were offended by his forwardness, or flattered. “...You sound pretty set on me doing this. But, you're right, I think.” The chef was nearly done with the salad, and he was talking animatedly about the dressing that he was about to pour in. You watched him as you said, “Okay. Okay, I'll bite.”

You missed the way the tension bubbled away from his form. Gaster lit up at your words as your hands patted your pockets, eyes searching around you. Your phone was sitting at the edge of the cushion, and you leaned forward to swipe it up before it fell to its death.

Putting in the password, you sucked in a breath. You tried to think back to the last time you initiated a dialogue through texting, ending up blank as you picked out Papyrus' number from your contacts.

 

_< Hi, Great Papyrus. How are you?_

 

There, simple. You left the phone on your thigh, turning back to the television. Your fingers tapped a fast rhythm into the arm of the couch as the crowd in the show laughed on cue. Why were you feeling nervous all of a sudden? It was just a text.

The phone vibrated and you glanced down at the lit up screen. [THE GREAT PAPYRUS] was displayed on the notification banner.

You typed in the password and went to straight to your messages, reading the message over.

 

_> HELLO, LAUNDRY HUMAN! I AM VERY WELL._

 

“'Laundry human', still? Is that your title now?” You heard Gaster say.

You laughed and opened your mouth to admit that it was a little endearing, honestly, but stopped when another block of text showed up.

 

_> HAVE YOU GIVEN THOUGHT TO MY PROPOSAL FROM YESTERDAY?_

 

“Looks like he's not much for skipping around stuff.” You replied instead, while your thumbs worked away at the screen. Send.

 

_< Yeah, actually. _

_< I think I'd like to try it out – it sounds like fun. :)_

 

The response was near instantaneous.

 

_> EXCELLENT!_

 

A grin made its way onto your face, rolling over any of your previous doubts. You began to type out a question about the details – what time to meet, what to bring – when another notification appeared on the screen. You narrowed your eyes, while Gaster did the same. It was a number not listed in your contacts. After sending your message to Papyrus, you tapped on it.

 

_> sup. _

 

“Uh,” Confusion was etched in your features, pushing down your brows. You didn't hand out your number to anyone else recently, did you?

“Wrong number, perhaps?” Gaster suggested.

You stared at the numbers, unfamiliar with the arrangement. “Should I text back?”

The black goo of his torso rose in a shrug. “You will not know who it is unless you ask.”

“Guess not.” You clicked your tongue, thumbs hovering over the screen.

 

_< Who is this?_

 

You didn't have to wait long before it pinged.

 

_> sans. _

_> got your number from pap_

 

The response made you breathe a sigh of relief, and you typed back with a renewed energy.

 

_< Hey Sans. Phew  
< For a second I thought some weirdo got my number or something._

 

_> nope. just some skeleton with a skele ton of skelepuns._

 

A small groan escaped you while Gaster chuckled. Your phone vibrated with an incoming message, and Papyrus' name appeared at the top of the screen. Upon checking, you found that he had texted you with the location and reassurance that whatever you would need would be at the house. Right as you hit send on your reply, you swapped out that conversation with Sans'.

 

_< Did you need something??_

 

_> nah. just wanted to say congrats on accepting paps as your mentor. _

_> he's pretty excited_

 

_< Aw! I'm looking forward to it too. :) It's going to be fun_

 

An exclamation from the tv brought your eyes up to see the chef presenting his dish to the audience, some of which were eating his creation around the counter. They gushed over the chef, showering him with compliments as he stood there, flushed with pride.

There was a buzz from your hand, and your eyes caught sight of the newly lit up screen. Your grin widened.

 

_> we'll see you around then, pal_

 

_***_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hello, all! Surprise, I ended up updating on 'schedule', bahah! Thanks to the long weekend, I had lots of time to write. :D It was fun to finally write a bit of dialogue between Gaster and the reader. Hopefully they get the hang of each other lmao.  
> What's a snack you guys like to have a lot? I prefer eating Reese's, personally. I actually had some while writing this.
> 
> Anyway, thank you again for reading! :D Kudos and comments are much appreciated. I would love to hear what you think so far! If ya wanna chat, check me out at sweetlilskell.tumblr.com!! Next chapter: Shenanigans at the Skelebros house!
> 
> \- Red
> 
> [UPDATE, October 14]: Hey all! This has officially not been updated for over a month.. It's been really, really busy and I have just not been able to actually sit down and write up the next chapter for some reason. I do have some parts written but it is not nearly enough to satisfy me. But with some things that have happened lately with work, after today I will have a slot of time to sit down and work on what I want. 
> 
> My hope is to write out three chapters and post those within 2 weeks of each other so I will have a buffer to write the next two or three. I am still determined to see this through - there is much I would like to unpack for Gaster and Reader. I hope you will stick with me as we find out more about them both. :) This is a bit of a journey for me, too. Until the next chapter, folks.
> 
> -Red


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your first lesson with Papyrus goes.. Well. It goes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After sitting on this chapter for a while, I've finally decided to post. I'm so sorry for the delay, guys - the last few months have been rough in more ways than one.
> 
> Also - Gaster's dialogue will only be bolded when the Reader is with other people now. There's really no point in bolding it when it's just the two of them imo, but let me know if it doesn't work and I shall adjust! I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> -Red

***

 

Over the next few days, you corresponded with Papyrus through text messaging. It wasn't a completely foreign concept to Gaster; he'd seen Alphys install the texting system into cellphones in the Underground. It was just as fascinating as the first time he'd witnessed it, how quickly messages could be relayed back and forth between devices. When you told him about the use of cell towers and signals, he'd lit up with interest.

“Remarkable. And you use this primarily for your cellular devices?”

“Yeah.” You answered, not looking up from your phone screen. The light it emitted danced in different colours across your face, and there were odd barking sounds coming from the speakers. “For texting, calls, even internet. And there are different companies called 'service providers' that own different cell towers. Some have more reach than others in different areas, so - “

“Where are they more prevalent?” Gaster pressed eagerly.

“The towers? Cities, towns. More - “

“More populated areas! I see.”

“Yeah. It's pretty nice if you're somewhere like here, but if we were somewhere, say, right at Mt. Ebott -”

“There would be less access to the signals. Of course, of course!” He nodded to himself, the pieces coming together in his mind. It was quite simple, now that he thought about it, and he told you as much. “There were cell phones in the Underground, but you see, we did not use cell towers – it just was not possible to make them connect all across the underground, especially with the extreme difference in temperatures and climate, and so we... What?” Gaster trailed off.

He hadn't noticed you put your phone down, but was now well aware of your shift in attention. You were facing the mirror, crossed legs and all, staring at him with a quirk of your lips.

“What?” He repeated, faltering slightly.

“Nothing, it's just..” You pressed your lips together, and he was sure that your eyes were squinted in amusement. “You're a really big nerd, aren't you?”

“I'm – excuse me? “ Gaster saw his own form bubble up in indignation from his periphery. “I will have you know, that I am - “

“Whoa, whoa! Sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way.” Palms raised, your face slacked into worry. “It was an observation, that's all! I think it's nice.” You lowered your hands, slouching. “Sorry if I offended you.”

Gaster stared at you. It was a compliment, he reminded himself, albeit an oddly put together one. “No, it's alright. I misunderstood, it seems.”

You smiled appreciatively at him. He couldn't quite bring it in himself to return it, but whatever look he was sporting must have pacified you, because you turned and picked up your phone again. He didn't look away, taking the chance to look at you and think.

It baffled him how easily you took to his presence. Aside from the occasional start at hearing his voice or seeing him in your reflection, you were handling the situation rather well, at least from what he could see. You treated him as though he were a guest that tagged along everywhere instead of a monster that was attached you, shadowing your every move. Sometimes he thought you even forgot he was there, with how quickly you would try to initiate small talk when you were confronted with his form within glass. A lot of the time it would fizzle off into nothing. It was through no fault of your own, nor his; there just seemed to be no subject that you could find true middle ground on.

You did not seem particularly keen on pressing him on why he was still in the Underground either, or anything in regard to him and his past. The most probing questions you'd asked him were about trivial things, like if monsters had social media or if all kids really did wear striped shirts. You'd even taken to his suggestion of not revealing his existence to others with ease.

“Okay,” The response came casually, after he explained that it would most likely cause monsters and humans alike some sort of distress to learn of him. “Yeah, makes sense. I mean, even just telling humans – they'd probably make me see a doctor or something. And you said this isn't something that would be easy to fix, right?” After his agreement, you nodded.

“Okay.” You said, not for the last time.

It was strange, your lack of curiosity or concern. Almost unhealthy. He'd come to think you were, perhaps, a little too trusting.

He sighed. It was probably for the best.

You told him eventually of what the general plan was going to be. The first lesson was this coming Thursday, on Papyrus' day off from his job. You were to be on the doorstep of the skeleton brothers' home at 4 PM, sharp, “AWAKE AND PREPARED FOR YOUR VERY FIRST LESSON WITH THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”. When you were reading out the address, Gaster spoke up with a doubtful tone.

“Are you sure you will know your way? Perhaps you should meet him at a spot you are more familiar with.” He suggested.

You paused, thinking. Your eyes scanned over the address a few times. “Well, I know he's not actually super far from here. I know the area well.. enough.” Doubt coloured your words this time, scrunching up your face. “Can't be that hard to find. I have a map app on my phone that should help if I get lost.

Gaster thought back to your struggle getting to the Nice Cream Shop, and the detours you made. “Something tells me that would not aid you as much as you would think.”

“What are you - “ He watched your face morph away from confusion and into bashfulness. “Oh. Well, that doesn't count! Those dogs really wanted me to play with them, and the houses in the neighbourhood all look the same, so – I mean, I wasn't that lost!”

Gaster's form drew up in an approximation of a shrug. His crescent smile twitched with amusement as he turned away from you (as much as his position would allow, at least). “If you insist.”

Moments later, he heard a huff of annoyance. “Okay, okay.” The light taps of padded fingers on a screen sounded, followed by the confirmation sound of a message sent. “Only because it's my first time going and I don't want to make a bad impression.”

He let out a light, ringing chuckle at that.

 

 

As it turned out, deciding to meet Papyrus half way had been a great idea. You ended up looping around a complex twice, much to Gaster's chagrin, and took a bit longer to reach the meeting spot.

You picked up the pace, jogging over to the most noticeable building around – the church. It towered over the trees that surrounded the area, standing tall over the playground that was beside it. The shouts of playful children rang out around the slides and teeter totters and swings, but Gaster carefully avoided looking that way. And anyway, he only had eyes for the monster standing by the steps.

“Papyrus!” You called, and the skeleton in question swivelled towards the voice. Upon seeing you, he waved his arm wildly in greeting.

“HELLO, LAUNDRY HUMAN!!” He boomed, scooping you into his arms as soon as you were close enough. “ARE YOU READY FOR THE CLASS OF A LIFETIME?? THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO BACK OUT! ALTHOUGH I WOULD HIGHLY DISCOURAGE IT BECAUSE, THIS IS A ONCE ON A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY!!”

You coughed out your surprise to the gesture, but smiled. “Yeah, I think so!”

“FANTASTIC! LET'S GO!”

As you stepped up next to him, speeding up because of his longer strides, Gaster took the opportunity to examine Papyrus up close.

He was so much taller than he remembered – how much taller, he couldn't say. But he was fairly sure that if he were standing next to him right now, Papyrus would indeed have a few inches over him. He tried to imagine whether or not he would reach his nasal bone.

“So what's the plan?” He heard you ask, “I did some, uh, sort of research on beginning recipes. Are we making rice krispies?”

“RICE KRISPIES??” Papyrus narrowed his sockets, “WHAT ARE.. RICE KRISPIES?”

Gaster looked to you for a reaction. Your brows had raised in surprise. “Oh! Uh.. They're these squares of cereal.” You connected the tips of your thumbs and pointer fingers, making a rectangular shape in the air. “They're held together by melted marshmallows.”

Papyrus contemplated the air, “I SEE!! INTERESTING! PERHAPS I CAN ADD THAT TO YOUR CURRICULUM. AFTER I RESEARCH IT FOR MYSELF, OF COURSE.”

“Of course.” You repeated, and Gaster wondered if you knew that he was going to take that to heart.

Soon enough, you walked up to a house that looked.. like an exact replica of the brothers' home in the Underground. Gaster gaped at it. The colour scheme, the placement of the windows, the mailboxes... Everything was exactly as it had been. Even the shed, forever locked, was to the side of the house. The only difference was that there was no snow on these roofs. Gaster had half a mind to wonder if Sans had simply teleported their entire home above ground.

“HERE WE ARE!” Papyrus announced, opening the door wide and stepping in. “WELCOME TO THE HOME OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

Back in the Underground, Gaster had lamented the fact that one of the many locations he could not manifest in was the brothers' home. The closest he could get was parking himself right across from the residence, close enough to see a glimpse of what was past the door but far enough that he couldn't make out the exact layout of the place. The most he ever saw was the rusted colour of the walls before the door would close.

It was the same colour that was painted on these walls, too, and he wondered if this part mirrored their past home as well. Straight ahead was the doorway that obviously led to a full kitchen; to their left, the living room. The space was wide and filled with furniture that looked well-loved and worn, with a large television set against the wall opposite them. There were stairs, towards the back – leading to the boys' rooms, probably. Anticipation bubbled in him as you stepped further into the home.

“I MUST FINISH PREPARATIONS, SO I WILL BE RIGHT BACK.” Papyrus announced, going past you and through the doorway to the kitchen. “MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME!!”

“Okay!” You called back, taking the sights in yourself. It was a cozy little home, you thought. Nicely sized for the two brothers. You moved past the TV and towards the staircase, wondering absently where Sans might be. Maybe he was at work, or -

“hey, pal. didn't ya know it's rude to step on someone when they're napping?”

\- or on the floor in front of you, apparently.

“Oh, sorry!” You backed up a step, avoiding the catastrophe that would be you crushing his rib cage with your foot.

“hey, no worries.” He got up nice and slow, taking his time to sit up, lean over, push off of the floor... It was almost like watching an old man rising from bed, but this old man was, well, a younger (??) skeleton. When he turned to you, he didn't miss a beat, “what's the matter? you look floored.”

You heard Gaster's chuckle alongside your own laugh, “Nice. Are you going to be part of the lesson too?”

“nah. i'm supervising.” Sans replied plainly, an easy smile plastered on his face.

“Supervising? But why would - “

“COME ON, LAUNDRY HUMAN! TO THE KITCHEN!” An arm looped around yours and pulled, leaving you to stumble along. A glance behind you revealed that Sans was following, expression unchanged as you were dragged to their kitchen. There was a glint of mischief, and... pity, in those concave sockets of his. You elected to ignore it; Whatever Papyrus had in store couldn't be that bad, could it?

Papyrus cut the last few steps of your travel short by picking you up and setting you down at a sweet spot to the right of the stove. 'Sweet spot' was literally written on the floor in a suspicious red substance, and your feet were only inches away from stepping into the messy 'X' marked beneath it.

You were about to ask what the heck was up with it when the clang of a metal tap caught your attention. You looked and saw Papyrus holding a ladle against a pot. Next to him was a row of ingredients and supplies; tomatoes, a strainer, and...

“Are we making spaghetti?” You stared at the name-brand box of spaghetti noodles, surprised but at the same time, not at all.

“OHO! GOOD EYE, HUMAN.” Papyrus' grin spread, and you marvelled at the elasticity of his features again. “YES! WE ARE, IN FACT, GOING TO CREATE THE MOST DIGNIFIED AND HONOURABLE PASTA DISH OF ALL TIME. I THOUGHT IT THE MOST FITTING FOR YOUR FIRST LESSON.”

You heard a whispered statement about this not being such a good idea, but you combated the doubtful tone with a smile of you own. “Alright, Papyrus. I trust you – teach away!”

You could have sworn that stars twinkled in his sockets at that, and you felt a buzz of energy pulse out of him as he stood straighter. “THEN LET US BEGIN!”

It started easy off easy enough. You were vaguely aware of what needed to be done, like making the sauce and boiling the noodles. Papyrus instructed you with an intense fervour, which would have made you nervous if he wasn't so actively encouraging. When you successfully placed all the noodles in the pot, he had gasped and clapped you on the back with a “VERY GOOD, HUMAN!” You argued that you had nearly dropped the entire box in, but Papyrus shook his head.

“YOU STILL ACCOMPLISHED WHAT YOU SET OUT TO DO!” He said, “AND ANY LITLE ACCOMPLISHMENT DESERVES PRAISE!

The words were simple enough. Honestly, it sounded like something you would say to a child who was throwing a tantrum about their failures. But oddly, the raw sincerity in his tone and earnest look in his face countered the potentially condescending words, and it made something warm bloom in your chest.

Every now and then, you threw a look over your shoulder to check on Sans. Each time you did, you found nothing different; the skeleton was sitting on the far counter, leaning back against a cupboard with his slippered feet resting on the edge of an opened drawer. He was napping, you guessed, though it was a miracle how he could sleep through the combined racket of Papyrus' voice and the banging silverware.

During one of the check ups, you were in charge of stirring the sauce. It was nearly done and the aroma drifted up straight into your nose. In all honesty, it actually smelled rather good and your quick glance was a result of your increased confidence in the outcome.

Nothing was changed, of course. Sans was sound asleep as far as you could tell – one of his fluffy pink slippers was dangling off of foot, dangerously close to falling and leaving it bare. His jacket was zipped all the way up and the fur lining of his hood pillowed his face. His position didn't strike you as particularly comfortable, but you figured he was one of those people who would sleep just about anywhere.

“ **Human –** ”

“HUMAN! YOUR NOODLES!”

You started and turned back to the stove. The pot with the noodles was boiling over rapidly. “Oh, shoot!” You leaned over, reaching out to turn down the dial while the 'shoot's under your breath multiplied. In your effort to stop that, however, the heat of the steam rising from the pot hit your arm. The steam split as it rose up both sides of your exposed skin, and you gasped, pulling back.

“OH NO!!” Papyrus appeared next to you, frantic in the midst of your whimpers. “HUMAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT??”

“I – I'll be okay.” You managed to say, cradling your arm close to you.

“YOU'RE INJURED!!” His voice echoed even louder next to you, and you tried not to flinch away from it.

“I'll be okay.” You lied, not wanting to worry the poor soul. It felt like the steam still had a grip around your arm, surrounding it with a constant ring of pain. You held your arm closer, though, away from Papyrus' eyes and your own. You were afraid of seeing it for yourself. “I, I just need some - “

“here.” A bony hand stuck itself between the two of you. On top of it was a large ice pack. Sans was wide awake and staring at you intently. “looks like things got a little _heated_.”

Papyrus turned to him, presumably to berate the skeleton, but stopped when a shaky laugh escaped you. “Thanks.” You took the pack from him, gingerly laying it over your injury. The cold immediately began seep into the burn, soothing the ache.

Papyrus huffed. “WELL! IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE THIS LESSON ANOTHER TIME, THEN.” He placed a hand on the small of your back, guiding you out of the kitchen.

“Huh? Oh no, wait!” You planted your foot down, trying to back up. “I can still cook, we can still do it!”

“NONSENSE! IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT OF ME, AS YOUR TRUSTED MENTOR, TO MAKE YOU CONTINUE WITH SUCH AN INJURY!” The skeleton guided you (with a little more force) into the living room, “NOW, SIT! DO NOT WORRY, LAUNDRY HUMAN. I WILL FINISH PREPARING OUR MEAL!”

“But - “ You started to protest, but the skeleton had already disappeared back into the kitchen with a loud “NYEH!”. You stood there battling yourself for a moment. You could go back and just tell him you would watch. After all, your arm was feeling better already! You lifted the ice pack, searching for proof, but the burning sensation made you put it back in haste. Nevermind, then.

You backed into the edge of the couch and allowed yourself to fall into the cushion. You glared quietly at your injury. Of _course_ you would mess something up on the first try. Only you would be clumsy enough to do such a thing.. You hoped Papyrus wasn't angry with you.

Your gloom bubble was punctured by the sound of Gaster's voice. “ **Are you alright?** ” His voice was low, hesitant.

You peered around for any company before answering with a long winded sigh. “Yeah,” You pushed yourself back into the couch. “It's not serious. It'll heal.”

That was the last you heard from him, as the next few minutes were silent except for the sounds of Papyrus rummaging around in the kitchen. You glanced up at the darkened television screen, curious.

He wasn't looking at you, but rather at your surroundings. His pupils were dilated as he took everything in, mouth slightly open as if in awe. But there was something in his face, something... Different, that you didn't expect to see. You leaned forward to inspect further when a new weight on the couch bounced the cushion, startling you out of your concentration. Sans grinned at you from the other end of the couch.

“mind if i put something on?”

You shook your head, feeling a warmth gather in your cheeks. You must have looked silly, staring into the blank screen like that. You were thankful that the other didn't point it out – you already felt rather ridiculous after earlier.

Gaster's form vanished as the television sprang to life. What replaced him was hard to say, because Sans was flipping through the channels rather quickly. There were glimpses of one of those obstacle course shows, a soap opera and something you could have sworn was a calculator on a piano? After a barrage of colours and different sounds, the screen settled into a news station. It wasn't one you were familiar with, but seeing as the host was a nervous looking cat monster, you weren't surprised.

“Today, another monster was nearly assaulted by an unknown assailant ... “

The words made Gaster stiffen. As the reporter continued, revealing the details: A monster had been walking out of a store, one owned by humans but utilized by monsters and humans alike, and threatened by a stranger near the entrance. A chase ensued, which thankfully ended thanks to the intervention of other monsters that were in the area. The reporter went on to talk about the rising concern of human-monster relations -

“Wait a second...” Gaster's eye lights settled on you. Your brows pressed down, marking the confusion clear on your face. “I thought that things were a little better now? With, like, the treaty and stuff in place.”

Treaty? So.. soon, after the monsters resurfacing? Worry bubbled within Gaster.

Sans' casual shrug was your answer. The lights in his sockets were trained on the cat monster on screen when he said, “it helps that it's official and all, yeah. but a piece of paper isn't gonna stop the worst of 'em from doing things.” He sounded oddly calm about the entire thing. It was an unsettling thing to witness, this sort of plainness from Sans. It saddened him. Gaster couldn't help but remember a young, insistent monster in an oversized lab coat who was determined to help him set the Underground free.

But then... He was like that once too, wasn't he? Though it hurt him more to see it in his son's face than within himself.

What had happened?

“I guess you're right.” Conceding, you rearranged the ice pack's position on your arm, wincing slightly. The reporter was touching on a list of safety precautions on screen, now: walk with a party of two or more, stay away from darker and less populated areas. “I guess I just thought that.. I don't know, maybe you guys wouldn't have to be so cautious about being out and about anymore.”

“it's a nice thought.”

As the news segment ended and a new program began, you switched topics and began to ask about different monster channels that Sans would recommend. He started going on about one that was not a monster channel, but a human one, where he could watch paint dry on a wall. Gaster made a note to himself while you laughed. Sans went on telling paint jokes, effortlessly flowing into jokes about annoying dogs after a bark and a scream was heard from the kitchen.

He stopped himself after a couple of them, regarding the tv again. “oh yeah, i guess there's one other channel you could try. hold on.” Sans held up the remote, clicking one of the buttons.

The electronic zip of a switching channel punctuated the air, filling it with sounds of a robotic voice dropping into the chorus of a ballad. A love song, it sounded like, but the lyrics escaped you as your back hit the couch with a soft thump. You watched the glittering robot dance across the stage, wishing you were half as graceful when Papyrus' voice rang out.

“OH MY GOD!!!” You heard, followed by a string of crashing pots and pans. And... a small explosion?!

“P-Papyrus?” Startled, you made to get up, but the tall skeleton was already barrelling out of the kitchen.

Apron covered in sauce, he nearly rammed right into the back of the couch. His overshot arm swung forward, the wooden spoon narrowly missing the side of Sans' skull. The sauce on the end of it, though, flew and smeared at his brother's temple. “I COMPLETELY FORGOT!! ABOUT THE LIVE CONCERT! SANS!”

“yeah bro.”

“YOU FORGOT TO REMIND ME ABOUT METTATON'S CONCERT!”

“oh.” You stared as the smaller skeleton completely ignored the sauce dripping down the white of his skull. It was close to his eye socket. Eugh. “concert's on, bro.”

“WOW. THANK YOU, SANS, FOR YOUR REMINDER THAT HAS COMPLETELY FALLEN THROUGH AND HAS NO RIGHT TO BE CALLED A REMINDER BECAUSE I AM ALREADY AWARE OF IT.”

“no problem.”

“Uh,” You started,“I can, um, go if you want.” You didn't want to overstay your welcome. They had already been kind enough to let you into their home for a free lesson, and you'd messed it up. Plus, your ice pack was sagging over your arm, no longer really an ice pack but a mildly-cold-but-still-kind-of-soothing water pack. The pain of the burn was flaring up again.

“WHAT?” Papyrus directed a puzzled look at you. “NO, HUMAN, YOU ARE INJURED!! AND AS YOUR MENTOR I CAN NOT ALLOW YOU TO GO WITHOUT ANY TREATMENT! AND YOU HAVE NOT EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO TRY YOUR FIRST CREATION YET! WHICH! ALSO HAPPENS TO BE MY TREATMENT.”

“What about your concert, though?”

“YOU CAN WATCH WITH US, OF COURSE! THAT WAY, YOU WILL HAVE DINNER _AND_ A SHOW!” He said cheerily, “DINNER WITH A VERY COOL SKELETON AND HIS VERY COOL BUT LAZY BROTHER, AND A SHOW WITH A VERY TALENTED ROBOT!! IT'S PERFECT.”

“Um. Maybe?” You considered it, and recalled the talk of monster food with Gaster. He _had_ mentioned something about monster food healing injury, but.. You sucked in a breath, taking time to peel the ice pack a bit away from your skin. The burn was bigger than you expected, but a little less red than you were worried it was going to be. But as soon as the air hit it, the pain gripped it tightly and you hissed, pressing the pack down on it again. “Uh..”

“i think the human's a little _burned out_ , bro.” Sans spoke, eyeing the injury. “might've run outta _steam._ don't think monster food is gonna cut it for this one.”

You expected Papyrus to groan, or even just intensely stare at his brother. That was two in a row, after all. Something flickered in his sockets, but instead, Papyrus' grin worried. “REALLY?? BUT WHEN YOU GIVE THE HUMAN FRISK CHISPS AFTER THEY SCRAPE THEIR KNEE, THEY'RE ALL BETTER??”

“those are just minor cuts and bruises though, pap. dunno if the spaghetti's gonna heal up a burn like that.”

Gaster watched both you and Papyrus deflate a little. You sighed loudly, “I guess that's that, then.” Standing, you slowly removed the melted pack from your arm, handing it over to Papyrus. Your brow crinkled with the returning pain. “I'm so sorry, Papyrus. I can't believe I messed up our very first lesson..”

The taller skeleton gasped, “HUMAN!! THERE IS NO NEED FOR APOLOGIES!!” He shook his head, something in his face becoming resolute. “THIS LESSON WAS ONLY THE FIRST, OF MANY!! AND WENT ABOUT AS WELL AS MY FIRST ONE DID, SO I WOULD SAY YOU DID VERY WELL!”

“Really?” You took a moment to think that over, before smiling up at him. “Thanks, Papyrus.”

“OF COURSE, MY DEAR STUDENT!!”

He made you wait for him to pack you a Tupperware container of spaghetti to take home (“THAT WAY YOU WON'T REGRETTI TAKING NO SPAGHETTI WHEN YOU WAKE UP HUNGRY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! NYEH-HEH”) so you ended up taking a taxi home with a bag full of the stuff. You were so touched at his generosity that you accepted all four containers.

And later that night you _did_ wake up with a craving for food, so you went to reheat a bowl of it. The jingling of Gaster's static-ridden laughter seemed to fill the entire apartment when you choked down that first bite.

(Did you regretti taking the spaghetti?)

 

 

(Maybe.)

 

***

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, y'all. Again, I'm sorry for the delay! :( The next chapter will come when it comes, and I hope you guys will stick around until then. I've started another fic called Petals That Have Fallen, which is an Asgore/Reader fic that has small snippets for chapters so it's more likely to be updated on a frequent basis. If you're into that I encourage you to check it out! ^^
> 
> Have a good one!
> 
> -Red


End file.
